Bloody Stakes
by PeechTao
Summary: Jasper is attacked during a hutning trip and left to battle his inner demons alone. Can Bella and the Cullens save him from this deadly threat? Or will they be hunted down before its too late? And what does the Pack have to do with it all? Mystery!
1. The Begginning

**Casual Note from the Author:**

_It was only a matter of time before this book came to be. After all, when I like something I become attached until something within my soul breaks loose into the written word. As it is, when I read, or watch, stories come alive before me I tend, as most people do, to enrapture myself in the trials and perils of one character in particular. In Inkheart, it is Dustfinger, Star Wars it is Qui-Gon, and so on until we meet my newest intrigue. This particular character may be of no great significance to some. But for me, I turn the pages ever willingly in order to soak in more of their thoughts, loves, and hates. This Twilight Saga character has enthralled me since his first description, sitting beside the lovely Alice. His name, is Jasper._

_And so, my story brews in the deepest holdings of my inner private thoughts. And I wait in silence for them to be unleashed. Even now, in the confines of my quiet home, my thoughts are on Jasper. And what my story is about to do to him._

_If you are no fan of the grim and evil, you may as well cease now. For, when my intrigue has been piqued, there is no stopping me until my story is satisfied._

_Lol. Seriously, I write pain :)_

**Bloody Stakes**

_Prelude_

It was close by. He could smell it in the cool of the air, still frosted and chilled from the sub-freezing previous night. The ground was blanketed in new snow. It was almost too easy to track. He felt nearly sorry for the poor critter, but after all he needed to eat something. And that deer was going to be it.

Jasper paused behind the trunk of a massive tree. He knew his prey was just beyond the next row of brush. He was simply biding his time until the creature relaxed. His nervous ripples, radiated through Jasper like a thousand prickles across his frozen skin. He took a needless deep breath.

He could feel Edward and Emmett somewhere higher up the mountains in the thick of bear country. It wasn't hard to imagine what they were after. Emmett was nothing but an endless sensation of adrenaline while Edward was almost in a frenzy of whirling emotions. So Edward had already caught something, and telling by Emmett's now disheartened blow to his emotional system Edward was obviously not sharing.

Jasper had to smile a little. He couldn't help himself. Even this far from each other it was simply too easy to tap into the emotions of those he had surrounded himself by like a family. An estranged vegetarian vampire family, but nonetheless they enjoyed a sense of togetherness somewhere. He didn't have to track where Carlisle, Rosaline and Esme were, he knew they had eaten and headed home hours ago. Carlisle was probably at the hospital by now too.

Jasper cut his thoughts short as he heard the deer move. He pulled closer to the tree, as if to blend himself into the trunk. He knew the animal was relaxing, its breathing slowed from its sporadic wildness to a dull _thud thud thud _in its heavy barreled chest. Jasper knew the animal could smell him by now, but as a vampire he knew the scent was too enticing to cause the animal to flee away from where he wanted it.

It would only take a couple minutes of patience. After all, he knew he could outrun the thing. He wasn't dumb. But, after years of feasting off of wild game rather than domestic bipedal apes he felt the need to change things up occasionally.

He felt the urge to suppress his sigh as he waited in the cold dawn. He thought about very few things, his attention had to be focused after all. But eventually he could not help his mind from drifting listlessly on to Alice.

Alice.

Just mentioning her name in his mind caused his eyes to seal tight, his head to lean back against the trunk of the moss grown tree and take another ever silent cold breath. _Al-ice_ he stretched her name to two drawn out syllables, as if a first and a last name to the one who encompassed his world. His eyes rolled back as he thought of her. The smell of her, the touch of her, everything lovely and beautiful balled into a single entity that was his, always his, forever.

How he missed her. She had left just yesterday to visit her close friends in Alaska, and already Jasper's dead heart was threatening to implode with want of her. It was bad enough he had to speak to her nearly every five minutes of the day in order to satisfy himself, but being alone like this hunting when surely she would be at his side, with her perfect emotional happiness radiating through him . . .it depressed him terribly. He felt lost without her. That smile, that wit, constantly at his arm with such life as he had yet to know possible in such existence as theirs.

He sighed, his eyes opening.

The deer was standing before him, its dull black eyes looking at him curiously, a clump of grass wedged between its teeth. Jasper smiled a little. "Hello there."

The deer ran.

Jasper had it pinned to the ground in moments. It took little more to clamp his fangs around the creature's neck and the blood frenzy to overtake him. The deer put up little resistance, as was their way. They often strolled right up to him, Alice, their large black eyes almost inquisitive of the strange sweet smelling creatures standing in the woods like ancient oaks. And at least he made the courtesy of snapping its neck, before helping himself to his fill of blood.

A sense of sheer exhilaration entered him. His adrenaline skyrocketed, body rocking with the waves of sheer pleasure encompassing his body. Emmett had caught his breakfast, Jasper thought wryly. That was no secret. And judging by Edwards now terribly foul mood, Emmett wasn't about to share either.

Jasper almost felt like laughing, even as his jaws were clenched like vices through the thick fur and hide of the deer's winter coat. He couldn't understand how Emmet would get through all that fur of a bear without frustrating himself. What did he do, bite off an ear?

Jasper's thoughts fell away from them as his body responded to its food. His parched stomach filled with the liquid contents, his mouth consuming, swallowing all the traces. It was hardly going to take anytime to drain the deer dry. Then he would head back home and get ready for school once more.

Now, there is something to be said for the strange mental state that encompasses a vampire when he is eating for the first time in three days. The brain fires reflexively waves upon waves of pleasing endorphins, the frenzy that encompasses the body is such an enhanced state of euphoria, and hardly much can be seen beyond the immediate need to eat, to drink. The awareness of self is lost into the craze of the moment and the passion of the hunt. Everything crashed into one incredible, terrible, sensory overload until one is nearly completely lost.

And then the feeding stops. The vampire claws at the neck biting and drinking what he can from the last of the animal carcass until eventually it is apparent there is nothing left but an empty husk of a body. Over the next few minutes, the sense of self is recovered, and the vampire again becomes aware of his surroundings and collects himself.

This is of course not lost of Jasper, nor any of the other vampires in his peculiar form of a family. So it must then be no great surprise that while in this state, in its very midst when the thirst is greatest, that Jasper completely missed seeing the two people who came from behind him.

The first was tall and slim. His hair was barely existent, buzzed short and even over the top of his head. He was wearing camo pants, dusted and filthy with whatever leaf litter and muck he had decided to climb through. He wore a heavy winter jacket, also in camo with thick army boots, and something like a rifle over his shoulder.

The second was larger, robust with a thick muscled chest that may even give Emmett a run for his money if he had only the strength of a human. He was pale as the snow around him, wearing hardly more than a t-shirt and set of black pants with thick boots also.

As Jasper slowly snapped out of his state, he began to notice them. They were closer then he would ever have given anyone credit for. The largest one was merely three feet from the back of him and looking incredibly unfriendly by the look of it. The slimmer one behind him was smiling proudly, the rifle dropping from his shoulder.

"Hi there, friend." The bulkier one said, his face never changing from the hard stone. "Awful strange meal for a bloodsucker, isn't it?"

Jasper's fear got the better of him. Usually it didn't. In any normal circumstance he would have crouched down, growled in such an otherworldly manner any creature living or undead would run in fear, quivering with regret. But he was surprised by the appearance. And that got the better of him.

By the time he came to himself, and the dark circle of black swelled away from his irises he had finely ascertained a few things from the men he now found himself facing off against. The bulkier one was almost certainly a vampire; his eyes were bright with red, deep set, and flicking with hatred. The second, surprisingly enough was not. He was human.

Jasper's off guarded eyes flicked between the two of them as he slowly got his bearings. He managed to stand some from his hunched form over the remains of the deer. He wiped his bloodied mouth with the back of his sleeve as he assessed the two people before him. At the same time he reached out in his mind for his brothers.

Emmett was still invigorated, confused, satisfied, all swirling into one. He was eating.

Edward was different. He was confused, calm, and shaking with fear all at once. He was searching too. Searching for Jasper's thoughts. And he knew at once what was going on.

_Hurry Edward! _Jasper told him, _Hurry please!_

The bulkier one made a step forward, and likewise Jasper crouched, growling fiercely at him.

The vampire laughed. "Oh, you think you're good enough for the two of us?" He chortled, nearly quaking with amusement. "You can try, but I've got a better idea for you, leech." He made a motion, and the slim one finished raisin the rifle.

Jasper wanted to disappoint him. He knew bullets would do no real damage. But something in the vampire's tone affected him. He knew he should run. Head for Edward and Emmett. He knew he had hardly any time to make the choice. Whatever was in that gun had nothing to do with bullets. But something didn't make sense. Perhaps that was what kept him from running.

"I don't get it." Jasper growled. "You're a vampire, I know it, what do you want with me?"

The vampire smiled, and the emotions, the strongest sense of hate Jasper had ever encountered, flowed out of him as a caged lion set loose on a lamb. He stepped closer; Jasper could smell the mint of his breath and found himself unable to move. "Like the pied piper." He cooed into the terrified Cullen's ear, "The rat lead to death by his own rotten kind."

Jasper felt the first bite, and struck out to fight back. Whatever had mesmerized him, kept him from running, from thinking at all rationally seemed to slow him down as well. He beat his marble fist against the vampire's chest, finely getting a leg beneath him and kicking the creature away so forcefully it would have broken the ribcage of any human. The vampire let go his hold, but not before taking a chunk of Jasper's shoulder with him.

"Now Jack!" the rogue vampire screamed.

Before Jasper knew what hit him, he was on his back, looking up into the faintly snowing sky. He didn't know where the dizziness suddenly appeared from, but it was there, spinning his eyes in hazed circles as the tree crowns above him danced and swayed. He felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. He could pick up no emotion, no fear, not even the cold, if he had ever felt that before. Suddenly he was sure of nothing. Nothing but the onslaught of pain radiating through his chest.

* * *

**note:** _while I say this book is finished, means literally it is finished on paper. I will be transcribing this over time to the computer and posting it. Be patient between posts please, and do review. Otherwise I may fall into a terrible melancholy._

_Next time:_ **Chapter 2:** **Racing to Save Emmett from Melting**


	2. Racing to Save Emmett from Melting

_didn't get any review for chapter 1 . . . the author, she is sad . . ._

**Chapter 2 - Racing to Save Emmett from Melting-**

"Emmett! For crying out loud, come on!" Edward hissed, moving to steal Emmett away from his meal if that's what it took.

Emmett looked at him through half crazed eyes, fully black to the very core and more menacing then ever after Edward tried to steal a bite for himself.

"This isn't a joke, Jasper is in trouble, do you hear me?" He growled again. After only an instant he knew it would be useless trying to get through to Emmett like this. Edward had to move on without him. Trusting Emmett to follow when he was done, Edward ran. He ran as if his own life was dependent on it. No, if it were Bella's. No offense whatsoever to his loved brother, but something special increased his haste if he knew Bella were waiting at the finish line for him. Regardless of the speed, he knew it would take time to get there. Time that he knew Jasper didn't have.

And when the wave of pain hit him, Edward pulled to a stop. Though it was a silly, left over human reaction, the breath sucked forcefully from his lungs. His mind went numbingly blank and he staggered to try and recover himself. Jasper was in pain. That was a new one. Edward couldn't remember the physical feeling of it for the past several decades. He knew the mental feeling. The striking feeling of incompleteness, incompetence, and uselessness. The jabbing stab in the center of his heart that hardly beat and radiated through his body until it could hardly move. But this was different. It was so . . . so literal. Edward knew he hadn't time to waste. He knew Jasper needed him. And he knew with that first painful wave, that he was going to show up too late to help.

"Jasper!" the word escaped his lips before he fully saw the body lying lifelessly in the snow. He dropped beside him, pulling Jasper into his arms. He shook his brother with everything he had, as if to somehow put the life back into his cement features.

"Jasper!" he screamed again, tilting the younger's face toward him, trying to find something, anything behind the mask of his topaz eyes. "Don't do this, just answer me would you?" he growled, though he couldn't understand who he may be mad at. He didn't see who had done this, what had done it. Just the product lying limply across his arms. He probed his brother's mind, looking for any traces he may be coherent. But found nothing. A vast, empty, absolute nothing. A void where his brother's mind had once been so apparent to him. Now it was closed, as if he were truly dead.

_**Dead.**_

Edward shook at the word. It couldn't be true. What possibly could have killed Jasper in so short a time? It wasn't true. It wasn't possible.

"Edward? Jasper, where are you?"

Edward's head snapped up. "Emmett! Here, hurry!" the vampire cried out.

Emmett appeared behind the mask of the trees. His face seemed whiter than usual. Edward knew his own face must be all the worse.

The vampire was next to him in an instant. His eyes were focused only on Jasper. His mouth hung slightly open. "Edward . . ." he nearly gasped, a quivering hand reaching down to probe the wound at the nape of Japser's neck. "Edward." He repeated, not saying anymore, knowing Edward could fill in the blanks himself. _Edward, is he dead? Are we too late? Who did this?** Is he really dead**?_

Before Edward had a chance to deny it, before they both shattered into a mass shuttering, blubbering vampires with the inability to cry, Jasper shook. The two called his name, smacking his face, shaking his shoulders, anything to rouse him, to get a response. In turn, the brother seemed to come back to the dull lifeless eyes. They focused, first on Edward, then Emmett as he sucked in a breath reflexively. As if it would dull the pain. Kill it off, once and for all. He was disappointed when it didn't work. It was then he looked down at himself. At the six inch metallic spike protruding through his chest. He tried to speak, to see if the two had by chance noticed the spike also. Before he got the chance, he went into a convulsion.

Emmett was too shocked to know what may be the right course of action. He would much rather have been of rending the people who did this carnage in two then sit and try worthlessly to help Jasper. Firstly he knew very little about medical care, especially when that case involved a vampire. It was nearly unheard of! How was he supposed to know what to do?

But he did see what Jasper tried to point out to him. The spike, much like some medieval stake rammed through his chest by something human force could not muster the strength for. Emmett knew at once that this strange foreign body had to go. He reached for it, grasping his big hand around what was sticking out of the marble skin of Jasper's chest. Its surface was completely smooth, totally polished. He couldn't grasp it firmly enough to pull it free, let alone that as he pulled his hands away he noticed something very important. The nearly impenetrable flesh of his hands was slowly being eaten away.

"Emmett!" Edward exclaimed, still holding Jasper with one hand while somehow managing to shovel snow into Emmett's palms. "Rub them together." He told him, "Hurry, wash it off, whatever it is!"

"It's burning!" Emmett shouted in fright as he scooped the snow and rubbed furiously. He could feel the cold, for once, as his skin was peeling off.

"Emmett, we have to get Jasper home. Do you understand?" Edward asked seriously.

Emmett nodded, the burning encompassing his mind. He knew Edward could sense that. He looked up at him. "Ok. Ok, let's go. We have to run."

Edward waited, to be sure Emmett was entirely himself, especially after the hunt, the frenzy, then finding Jasper so poor off. He had to be sure Emmett was with him. At another more sturdy nod, Edward hauled Jasper up, and the two raced him home.

* * *

_review please . . .need some feed back:)_

_Next time:_ **Why isn't Edward Dead?**


	3. Why isn't Edward Dead?

**Chapter 3 -Why isn't Edward Dead?-**

Edward could hardly allow his mind to wander as he ran, Jasper held securely in his arms. A few paces behind him was Emmett. Edward knew he was more focused on his burning hands then watching where he was going. It was no surprise when he hit headlong into another tree.

Edward skidded to a halt. He looked back, adjusting Jasper in his arms.

"Emmett?" e called worriedly. He knew the tree was probably worse off, but regardless he didn't want to take chances. Not with the injuries he was already facing. "Emmett?"

The large vampire finely appeared through the trees. "I'm ok, sorta." He said, trying to sound easy.

"Come on. I can't have you down and out too."

"You want me to hold him?" Emmett asked. He knew it was more for convenience. Edward's strength could more than carry Emmett himself for the rest of his life if he must.

"No way." Edward told him, running again. "I don't need you slamming a tree with him."

Emmett nodded as he followed. He gathered more clumps of snow, rubbing them over his hands to dampen the fire.

It took longer then Edward would have liked to get back to the house. By the time he had, Rosaline and Esme were standing in the yard, looked out into the woods. Both had severe expressions, and equally terrified looking.

"Esme!" Edward called ahead. Emmett broke the tree line behind him and rushed forward to meet them.

"What happened?" Rosaline exclaimed. She took Emmett's hands in hers. Suddenly her stomach turned and she looked up at him. "Emmett, what happened?!"

"Jasper!" Esme rushed passed them to check on the limp vampire in Edward's arms.

"He's got something in his chest." Edward told her. "Don't touch it, ok?"

Esme was paralyzed in fear. Was Jasper still alive? She could hardly tell. The blood from the wound on his shoulder was pooling across Edward's arms.

"Oh, Edward." She breathed.

He moved by her, going into the house with the other three following silently behind him. As Edward set Jasper on the living room couch, a peculiar and yet incredibly familiar, scent caught him. He straightened and turned to see Bella.

He face, usually permanently glued to his own, now was not. She saw nothing of him. Only Jasper. The bloody Jasper. Bella was gnawing her lip, unable to say a word.

Esme and Rosaline were by him in an instant, taking care of the brother for him. This allowed Edward to go to her, wrapping her in his cold strong arms. She was shivering in his embrace. "Edward." Her frightened voice hardly squeaked.

Edward held her tighter. "Don't look, Bella." He whispered into her hair. "Come on." He pulled her along to the next room, but Bella was planted. She wanted to watch, couldn't help not to. Jasper. Alice's Jasper. One of her best friends. He couldn't _get _hurt. He was a vampire! Who could have attacked him? Edward wanted to pick her up and move her physically. She didn't need to see this, whatever came of it. But before he could grab her, Esme called to him.

"Edward, what happened to him? Alice told us something was wrong, but it was you. Not Jasper."

This surprised him. How close had he come to being where Jasper was now? Just one quick decision away. That was all! "I knew he was in trouble. I went as fast as I could. I never even saw anyone else."

Esme nodded, then looked at Emmett. "What about you?"

Rosaline looked to his face while she continued wrapping his hands deftly with gauze.

"I found him after Edward. I tried to get that, _thing_, out of his chest. It pretty much melted my hands off." He shrugged. "I wouldn't try it."

Esme motioned to Bella. "Bella, can you call Carlisle? He needs to come home right away."

As if snapped back to life, Bella looked up and nodded. She finely followed Edward out as she withdrew her cell phone.

"He's at the hospital?" she asked off handed.

Edward agreed, his arms still encircling her waist.

Bella dialed in the number, her eyes drifting back to where Edward's chest was blocking the living room, and Jasper, from view.

* * *

Now review!!

Next time: In Which Jasper is Dealt with


	4. In WHich Jasper is Dealt with

_A/n: Thanks for all the kind reviews and support!! I updated the last chapter, found a few grammatical mistakes._

**Bloody Stakes**

**Chapter 4 -In Which Jasper is Dealt With-**

**Part 1**

She looked at the front screen of her phone, noticing the many missed calls directed her way. One name kept popping up. Jacob. Well, she wasn't about to deal with that particular aspect of her life as of yet. So she ignored him. "Carlisle?" Bella said. "Yes, its Bella. No, there's been a—" she struggled to find the right word. "Something's happened. To Jasper. You have to come home right away. Yes. All right." She placed her phone back in her pocket and looked up at Edward.

The pain in her face made him turn away. He collected himself and looked back, squeezing her waist gently. "So, Bella, what are you doing here?"

She smiled, weakly, and dropped her chin into his cold chest. "Surprising you. You always show up at my place whenever you want." She didn't smile.

Edward chuckled lightly. "Yeah, you always did have great timing." When Bella said nothing, he couldn't hide his disappointment. Of all times for her to be here. When Alice told them all it was Edward who was so terrible off. Not Jasper. On a whim, he checked his cell. Just what he thought, nearly forty-five different calls from Esme, Bella, Rosalie, even Alice. Thirty voice mails. All from Bella.

"I'm sorry." He told her. "Bella, you thought it was me, didn't you? I'm so sorry."

Bella was useless to fight the streams of tears that immediately betrayed her. "You said it wasn't dangerous! You said you wouldn't get hurt hunting, Edward you promised!"

Edward wanted to steal her up. Cradle every worry away. "Bella, I know. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. He was attacked. By a person, Bella, not an animal." He pulled back to arms length, seeking her eyes with his. "He eats deer, Bella. How dangerous can they be?"

Now a smile escaped her lips and Edward reflected it. "Sure, they could have gummed him to death but—"

A small laugh, and Edward had won. She loved him, and at the same time hated him for it.

"Carlisle coming?" Esme asked, walking up beside them.

Bella wagged her head. "Yes, he's leaving now."

Esme's face became very grave. "Oh, Bella, why don't you go up stairs and grab a shirt from Alice. Edward, you should have known better! Now go on and wash up."

Curiously, Bella wondered what was possible wrong with the shirt she was wearing. It was one of her favorites, she thought Esme even complimented her on it once—The minute she looked down, she regretted it. "Um, yeah, good idea." She headed up, Edward following behind her. At the top of the stairs they separated. Bella rooted around in Alice's closet, finding any random t-shirt that may fit. She pulled her own off and tossed it into the hall. She blamed Edward for the state of it. The lower torso was covered in blood. Jasper's or the deer, she didn't know. But she was sure she was not going to be wearing that shirt again.

Ever.

A light knock came to the door frame.

Bella turned to see Edward watching her. Her surprise made her voice raise. "How long have you been standing there?!"

He shrugged a little. "Not long."

Bella narrowed her eyes. He was already changed, clean, his hair damp as if he'd gotten a shower. Bella never got over how fast he was. Then again time had a tendency to slow when she busied herself finding something to wear in a foreign closet.

Edward walked forward, picking up the discarded shirts she had decided against wearing. He hung them back up as Bella folded two others.

Suddenly Edward stiffened.

Bella looked at him in concern.

"Talk about something." He said so swiftly she nearly missed it.

She knew what that meant though. He was hearing someone's thoughts. And they weren't good. "Who is it?" she asked.

His white hands were fists at his sides. "Carlisle."

"About Jasper? Is he awake?" She asked, her excitement rising. "Let's go see him!"

Edward caught her arm. "Bella, don't."

She took her arm away. "Jasper's my friend, Edward. I'm going to see him."

If Edward really wanted to, he could have stopped her incredibly easily. He wasn't sure why he didn't that time.

Bella dropped her shirt in the trash and went into the living room. Jasper was still on the couch. His face was broken out with sweat, his eyes open but distant. Both hands were tightly knuckled against his abdomen. Carlisle was above him with his medical bag. As she came closer, Bella took a place beside Emmett to watch Carlisle work. Emmett smiled at her, despite is wrecked hands soaking in a basin in front of him. One whiff told Bella it was straight alcohol.

"Doesn't that hurt?" she asked him.

"No, I'm numbed up." He told her, his grin more pronounced.

"Hello there, Bella." Carlisle greeted. "Here so early?"

"Yes, surprising Edward with a drive in to school." Her grin was weaker then she hoped. Her eyes flicking to the metal spike emerging from Jasper's chest. Was Carlisle going to remove it? Didn't he see what happened to Emmett?

Carlisle chuckled some. "Well, I suppose timing was not your greatest asset." He didn't say it with any specific malice; it was a jovial statement that made Bella almost want to laugh in agreement. Carlisle pulled on a pair of pure white hospital gloves. He used a syringe and sucked the contents of a dark bottle into it. He then removed the needle and emptied its new contents into the broken skin around the wound.

Jasper's eyes closed, his bare chest was quivering with each reflexive breath.

"How are you doing, Jasper?" Carlisle asked, his voice calm.

Jasper didn't answer.

This made Carlisle's face furrow with worry. He turned to see Edward who had come in behind him. "What is he thinking?"

Edward lifted his shoulders, his hands deep in his pant pockets. "I don't know. Nothing I guess. I don't hear anything from him."

Another worry line creased his beautiful face. He pulled out a few gauze from his medical bag and, holding them between his thumb and forefinger, gingerly attempted to pull out the metal spike. Almost immediately he pulled it away with a hiss. Before Bella realized what had happened, he had stripped off his gloves and was dipping his fingers in Emmett's alcohol bowl.

"You ok, Dad?" Emmett questioned, shocked.

Carlisle's expression was still as troubled. He lifted his hand to examine the burnt fingers. They weren't as bad as Emmett's at least. This was terribly disturbing to him. He returned to Jasper and examine the metal.

"It is burning through his skin also." Carlisle commented. "It has to come out." He rubbed his brow and chin, trying desperately to think. He looked around almost desperately, and then his eyes rested on Bella. The idea sprung on him. "Bella, would you do me a favor?"

She knew precisely what he would ask.

"I don't think it will be dangerous to you since you are not a vampire. Will you try it?" his eyes were pleading behind the striking topaz.

Bella's palms were already sweating in fear. Sure, she didn't care if she got hurt. After ll, been there, done that. What worried her was hurting Jasper more than he was already. She took the latex glove Carlisle offered and pilled it on. She reached out and gently touched the end of the metal. She pulled her hand away, But saw no injury. Encouraged, she took a firm hold on the metal spike and tried to pull.

"It won't move."

Carlisle was watching, he looked encouraging. "Pull a little harder. Not too much. Let it slide out."

Bella did as he said, grasping further down to get more fingers around the metal. She tried her hardest not to look at the wound, less she throw up on Rosalie's shoes. When the metal moved half an inch, it surprised her. Carlisle offered words of encouragement as the object slowly pulled up and then free.

Jasper was ever silent, until the metal pulled out. He groaned, his head turned, and he clenched and unclenched his hands. His eyes opened again. Equally distant as before.

"Good, Bella, place tat on the table." Carlisle instructed. "Jasper? Wake up now, can you hear me?"

Jasper's chest heaved and he hissed.

Edward shrugged again when the eyes of his adoptive father fell on him. "Nothing. His whole mind is a void."

Jasper's teeth clenched, his lids sliding closed.

Carlisle was getting more distraught. "Edward, hold his up, I'm going to wrap his wound. We'll see how this heals on its own."

As Edward took Jasper from beneath his armpits and pulled him up, Carlisle tapped his shoulder. "Jasper, We're trying to help you all right? If you can hear me, blink your eyes."

Jasper's lazy eyes opened, seeming to focus on his father.

"Blink your eyes, Jasper."

Jasper watched him another moment, then looked away again

Disappointed, he went on cleaning the two injuries. He used, perhaps, more gauze then necessary to patch Jasper together. He knew swiftly sutures or staples were virtually useless/ Neither had a chance at piercing the marble shin.

Bella did as she was told, setting the long metal spike on the table. It was larger than any expected, a good six inches at least with a razor of a tip. It was cylindrical, with a diameter or two or more inches alone. It hit the table with a clanging thud. She was surprised how heavy it was. Like a lead weight in lab class. Rosalie stood besides her investigating.

"What do you think it is?" Bella asked.

Rosalie crossed her arms. "Got me. Whoever made it has a plan for it. Knew exactly how to use it. But why Jasper?"

Bella looked closer, trying to recall any memories she had of shiny metals. "Is it," she looked up to see what bizarre reaction she may get, "Is it silver?"

Rosalie burst out laughing before catching herself.

Emmett just kept going. "Oh-my-gosh, Bells!" he almost cried, probably would have if he could. "You did not just—" He fell back in his chair, laughing wildly.

Edward and Carlisle both smiled.

"Luckily," Esme finely said, draping her arm over Bella's shoulder. "It doesn't work that way."

"I told you, it's very hard to harm a vampire." Edward said. "None of this makes sense."

"Ow."

Edward nearly lost his grip when Jasper spoke. Carlisle tried to coax more out of him. Jasper closed his eyes for a moment, and then blinked them open again. His face twisted into a grimace as he tried to pull his arms free. It was hardly a struggle at all.

"Relax." Carlisle told him. "Almost done."

"Let go!" Jasper's voice was so quiet it was almost missed on Bella's insensitive ears. He tried to pull away again.

"We're just helping Jasper." Edward said into his ear. "Just calm down a little."

Jasper's legs began to jostle, like a dog running in his sleep. Rosalie head them still. Carlisle brought the ends of his wraps together, making a secure knot. "All right, set him down."

Edward slowly laid him back. Jasper was flailing, almost drunkenly.

"Let go!" he mumbled, pulling out of Rosalie's hands. He shifted, rolling over and growling furiously.

"Jasper?"

"I'll bite you!" he whispered, his fist struck out, catching only a cushion.

Carlisle felt Jasper's face with the back of his hand. "He's . . . he feels different." He said. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out an automatic thermometer. Fearing Jasper may bite a basic one in half, he took his temperature through one ear. He announced his finding. "780 Fahrenheit. Much too high."

"I'll get some ice." Esme rushed to the kitchen. Bella looked questioningly at Edward.

He shrugged. "We bought some for you. There's some soda and Juice in the fridge too. But I would check expiration dates on the food." He grinned a little.

Carlisle turned and took Emmett's temperature, regardless that he protested. "Temperature is a little elevated." He muttered more to himself. His own core temp was normal. "I don't get it. Edward, did he say anything to you before he was caught?"

Edward shook his head. "He said "Help. Hurry". I felt him panicking, that's why I stopped to look for him. What did Alice say?"

Esme handed the ice to Carlisle who held it to Jasper's face.

"She said something attacked Edward. On the hunt. Someone shot him, but it just looked like a random hunter. She knew it was silly, but Edward looked hurt. She couldn't see anything else." Esme told him. "I think she's coming home. It worried her."

Carlisle nodded. "I can understand why—"

Jasper struck out as the ice hit him. He grabbed his father's arms gruffly, rolling towards him with teeth bared in a growl.

Carlisle just pulled his hand away in time to avoid a painful snap. Bella jumped in surprise. Emmett upset his alcohol bowl over the floor and Edward head locked Jasper.

"Let go!" Jasper's voice was stronger, he pulled against Edward. He kicked and growled. "Emmett!" he cried. "Help! Edward!"

Carlisle sat on Jasper's legs, pinning them under him. "Relax, Jasper!" his voice was firm and yet strewn with affection. "You're home, Jasper. Everything will be all right."

Jasper snapped again before realizing the move was fruitless. He pulled and rolled, kicked and punched, but his family had him. Exhausted somehow he relaxed and passed out.

Emmett was frightened. "What's he doing? Is he asleep? Dad, he doesn't sleep!"

"I know it, Emmett." Carlisle wanted to check his pulse but knew it was a useless maneuver with no heart beat. Jasper's pupils were fixed. He simply wasn't sure what to make of it. Centuries of medical practice taught him nothing of vampire's life and death wounds. For once in a very long time he felt helpless.

"Let off him, Edward. Thank you." The oldest vampire instructed. He stood. "let him rest. We'll watch and see what comes of it."

"You're sure?" Rosalie asked.

He agreed. He left his open bag at Jasper's side, hoping it was useless now. That Jasper would heal perfectly on his own in a few hours. He then picked up the upset alcohol basin, a few more wraps of bandages, and led the group into the next room.

Bella and Edward sat at the kitchen table. Emmett beside Bella with hands outstretched.

Carlisle inspected them both intently. Then wrapped them also. A few Band-Aids later and his own scorched fingers were looked after.

"Bella?" Esme asked. "Can you get that metal piece. I want a better look at it."

Bella stood up and retrieved it. She laid it on the table in front of them all. It still had Jasper's blood on it. Sensing Bella's green complexion, Edward pulled her onto his lap.

"Strange isn't it?" Esme remarked. She smirked a little. "Kind of like a stake through a vampire's chest."

Carlisle nodded. "Actually, I think that is precisely the intention." He leaned over the table, looking as close as he dared without feeling his nose burning. "Look at that." He pointed with a long pale finger, still not daring to touch.

Rosalie and Emmett and Esme leaned in.

"See those lines?" he asked, What does it remind you of?"

"A bullet Like CSI or something. Was this shot out of a gun then?" Emmett asked.

"Of sorts, yes. I believe so." Carlisle stated.

"It explains the force it needed to ram through Jasper's skin. It takes a lot to do that." Edward added.

"Explains the hunter." Now it was Rosalie.

"So. Now the question is what are we going to do?"

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ok, next chapter may take some time to post, it hasn't been compuer coppied yet, ok? sorry, will try to get it up asap.


	5. Jasper is Dealt with prt 2, Biting Bella

**Bloody Stakes**

**Chapter 5: In Which Jasper is Dealt with**

**Part 2**

**Including: How to Bite Bella and Freak Out Edward in 1 Easy Step**

Sleep. What did that mean to him? A vampire now for more than a hundred years, Jasper could hardly remember what sleep was. He watched humans sleep occasionally, just to refresh his memory. But experiencing it, as a vampire, was a frightening experience. He hardly knew where his mind was wandering. All he could feel was a fuzzy sense of utter dread. His body shook and he moaned.

He was on something soft. That was a change. He tried to roll over, but a brain-numbing pain rushed through him. A strange taste in his throat made him cough and gag until something came up.

"He's throwing up!"

The sound of the voice shattered his ear drums. He blocked the sound out, wrapping both hands over his ears.

"Jasper?"

He groaned. A burning pain shot through his shoulder. He tried to roll over again. His stomach turned again. A set of hands held him up, he felt his hair pulled back then he retched.

Acid burned his throat sore. He coughed and gagged. He retched again.

"He's still throwing up?"

"Yeah. I can't tell who's blood it is. His or breakfast."

"Does he even have blood that doen't belong to breakfast?"

Jasper wondered if it was Carlisle speaking.

"Ugh, the smell!" It was Rosalie, he heard her pad away silently.

"I think he's done. Edward, hand me that towel."

Jasper's head swam and he stifled a scream as he was leaned back against a cold body. His chest and shoulders were on fire. He held his arms around himself, as if to keep from pulling apart. Something frigid crossed his face, cleaning him up he supposed. He couldn't imagine how he must have looked. Then again, he hardly cared.

"Feeling better Jasper?"

Jasper was hardly in the mood to answer. His shoulder was killing him. He tried to sit up on his own but a hand over his chest held him back. This time, he did scream. The pain was mind numbing!

"His chest, Emmett, be careful!" Carlisle cautioned hastily. "Do you have the cot? Yes, set him there. Gently!"

The injured vampire snapped at the arm circling his chest. It pulled away sharply. The cold was gone, but he still shivered. Carlisle's faced had perhaps permanent creases from his constant fretting. "His temperature has climbed again. Edward, more ice, quickly." He leaned over the cot, placing his bare arms over Jasper's forehead, hoping the chill of his body would help.

Jasper pushed him away feverishly. He was already too cold. He needed warm. Whatever warm was. He hadn't felt temperatures since he was human. What was normal? Wasn't cold good? His mind was filled with haphazard thoughts. He didn't know what to do. Something was hurting him. Couldn't Carlisle see that? Why wasn't he helping? Jasper startled up with a wet feeling cold covering over him. He tried to pull away, but a heavy hand held his shoulders down. A spear of pain racked through him. He screamed again.

"Emmett, please tenderly," Carlisle's voice was strained. He sounded exhausted, as if repeating himself was the most troublesome thing in the world.

"Trying, sorry, its hard with my hands so messed up. Sorry Jasper."

_Emmett?_ Jasper's mind wondered who Emmett was. The name wasn't familiar. Was it a name? Where was he? What was happening to him? What were these people doing to him! Jasper stole his arms out of someone's grasp he tried to stand, losing his balance and hitting the floor instead. His eyes flipped open, he gained his footing again. And his heavy eyes looked around at the people over him.

One was tall, blond. He had a white coat, his eyes fearful. Another was larger. Much larger. His hair was brown, his hands were covered in bandages. Then a third with dark auburn hair and sharp topaz eyes. The last spoke first.

"Jasper, be careful, you don't want to hurt yourself." He said moving toward him.

Jasper backed away swiftly. "Stay away!" he shouted. He folded up at the waist as the terrible burning crippled him. "Don't—don't come near me!"

_Maria_, Jasper thought frantically, he must find her. He must have been captured by the enemy. Where had they taken him? What had they done to him? As he backed away he hit the frame of a doorway. His breath sucked out of him with a quake of soreness.

"Edward?" Bella called in concern from the adjacent room. She could hear a crash, commotion. She went to him, afraid that something had happened to Jasper. She rushed through the doorway at the worst possible moment.

Jasper saw the flicker of movement from the side of his eye. Frightened, he struck out.

"NO!" Edward yelled.

Jasper grabbed Bella by the neck, tightening the crook of his arm across her. She gasped for air, striking out with her elbows. The vampire was hardly standing. His legs were weak under him. He swayed, the room spinning dizzily.

"Where did you take me!" He roared. "Where's my unit! Where's Maria!"

Carlisle was startled. So this is where Jasper had gone. He was no longer a Hale. He wasn't their son, or their brother. He was a poor soldier fighting a war long ago in his troubled past. Beside him Edward was shaking. He wanted to rush forward, to steal Bella out of danger. He needed it. Carlisle touched Edward's shoulder, hoping to hold him back from doing something too rash. Jasper was frail right now. Anything could send him over the edge.

"Jasper Whitaker." Carlisle tried Jasper's real name, his name from so long ago, in hopes of calming him down. "You were injured in battle, all right? That's a friend you have there, and you are frightening her. Maria is out. She's coming back today. I'm a doctor, you must calm down before you hurt yourself worse then you have already. Please, trust us." His face was pleading, welcoming, a plethora of emotions all bent on settling the severe mood Jasper was in.

Bella had stopped fussing. Her focus was only on Edward.

Jasper shuttered to breathe. He leaned heavily on the door frame. He didn't trust these men. He couldn't trust anyone. Not now.

"Jasper, my name is Carlisle, do you remember me?" the doctor pressed. His hopes were crushing by the second.

Behind Jasper came the stealthy, soundless form of his sister, Rosalie. She looked at her father, waiting desperately for the sign to move.

The injured vampire tried to push himself back up. He had to make a run for it. He needed to get away from this place, far away to look for Maria. Another wave hit him full on. His head dropped forward to Bella's neck.

"Rosalie!" Carlisle shouted.

And the room sprung into action. Rosalie pulled Jasper off, to the right and through the door way until they hit the floor in a mass. Carlisle and Edward both had Bella in their arms before she even realized Jasper was gone from behind her. Emmett was helping Rosalie half a second later.

"Bella! Bella did he get you?" Edward was repeating in dread, his hands circling her neck, down her collar bones, the back of her head. He was terrified.

"No." Bella had to insist five or more times before either of her rescuers believed her. "No, I'm fine, really. He didn't do anything."

"Dang it, Jasper! Let go of my arm!" Rosalie growled, yanking her forearm out of his jaws. Four distinct puncture marks from his canines were marbled with red. She was more upset at the inconvenience then the burning. "I've about had it! You're getting tied to the bed!"

Emmett looked up at her and smiled. "Ooh, kinky. Me next?"

Rosalie smacked him in the jaw. "Knock it off, Emmett!"

"Watch out there." Carlisle told them, kneeling down to check on the male. He shook his head, uneasy. "What's happening to him?" he asked himself allowed. "He can't live like this. We can't worry about him attacking someone."

Esme was above them now. She was looking at Carlisle, her face clearly showing her distress. "What are you saying?"

The doctor stood. He motioned for Emmett to get his brother into bed again, now that he was unconscious once more. Only then did he confront Esme. "What can we do? We haven't any idea what is going to happen next. How much worse can he get? How far will it go? Will it spread? He bit Rosalie, we'll have to keep a close watch on her. If this thing is a toxin, will it ever clear his system? Will he ever be the Jasper we love again? These are hard questions and we have no answers for it. None. This has all become very serious very quickly. He can't be left alone."

Esme wanted to interrupt so many times, but she kept silent, nodding her head with understanding. Everything he said was true, of course. They had no idea how bad this was going to get before it got better_. If_ it got better. She said nothing to him, other than that she was going out to pick Alice up from the airport. She hugged him tenderly and departed.

* * *

"Bella, you can't stay! What if that happens again? What then?"

"Edward, Jasper is part of my family too! He didn't want to hurt me. If he did he would have. But he stopped! Stop being so difficult!"

Edward laughed spitefully. "Oh, yeah right! You are going right now if I have to run you home to Charlie! What if something had went wrong? What would you do then?"

Bella was fuming. "Don't you dare bring Charlie into this like a trump card, Edward. I'm staying and that's it!"

Carlisle was smiling behind them as he listened. Bella was finding her voice more and more lately. Standing up to Edward's protectiveness. She knew he could force her if he wanted, but lately he hadn't been pressing the issue. They were compromising. What a promising young couple they were.

When Edward looked at his father for support, the doctor backed out of the conversation and left the two to resolve it on their own. That was the last thing he was getting in between. For now, he had other plans. "Bella, do me a favor and take that metal bar and put it in my briefcase. I'm going to drive up to the university and ask a friend of mine about it."

Bella nodded, thankful to find herself useful. "Should I, uh, you know clean it?"

The vampire smiled. "Actually, no. I don't want it tainted."

She strode around him to do it.

Now the father looked at Edward. "So, anything important going on in Jasper's head yet?"

Edward's eyes were still narrowed. It was obvious his conversation with Bella was not final. "Yes, actually." He said, "He's confused. And in pain. He can't figured out what's happening to him. Or who we are. He hardly knows who or what he is. His mind's completely confused."

"It might just be the fever." He mused. "It's what happens to humans. Remarkably similar. Rosalie, how is your arm?"

She looked cross, tightening a chain over Jasper's limp leg before bolting to the bottom of the old army surplus cot. "I'm fine. It hardly stings. I'm going to slug him for it when he wakes up though."

Carlisle disapproving look made her apologize. But she was still grumbling under her breath as he was handed his briefcase by Bella. He was cautious taking it from her. Wondering if the strange metal would somehow know what he was, and attempt to burn a hole through his trouser leg. When nothing came of it, he relaxed. "Good. Now, everyone try and keep out of trouble. I called the school already and excused everyone for the day. Bella, you may want to call your father and tell him you are all right."

She agreed, glad he didn't say she had to go in to class anyway. "Sure, I'll call now."

"Be back as soon as I can." He said, turning and heading out.

Bella smiled a little, pulling out her cell phone triumphantly. There were another four calls from Jacob Black. Adding that to the dozen or so she ignored earlier when she called Carlisle, that was a pretty big number. But that didn't matter right now. She had bigger problems than him that was for sure. She had to remember to call him back. Eventually.

"Tell him you'll make your afternoon classes." Edward said from behind her.

Bella turned to him, the phone already ringing. Her eyes narrowed. "No. I'm staying."

"Far be it from me." He drew the words out with calculated measure. "To interrupt you education. You. Are. Going. To. School." He punctuated each word with a step in her direction.

"_Bella?"_

She growled at him, so reminiscent of what Edward may do to her, and turned her back on him. "Dad? Hi, I'm staying home from school today, if it's all right."

"No it isn't!" Edward was loud enough for Charlie to hear.

"Stop it, Edward." She told him, "Dad? Sorry. No, I'm over at the Cullens. Yes, no Doctor Cullen just stepped out. Well, Jasper's sick. Yeah, he really isn't good and I wanted to help Alice take care of him."

"_Why doesn't Edward want you there?" _Charlie asked

"Because he's being a dork." Bella replied easily. Edward was in front of her again. His foot tapping impatiently.

"_What's wrong with Jasper? He's the big one isn't he?"_

"No, that's Emmett. Jasper is the blond one. He has a bad—uh—" she looked at Edward desperately for a good lie. He just folded his arms stubbornly and said nothing. She wanted to hit him.

"His appendix ruptured." Emmett supported from behind her.

Bella looked at him stupefied.

He shrugged. "It always sounded like a painful thing to me."

"_Bella?"_

"Oh, uh, he was mugged." She lied. Edward threw his head back and laughed. "He got pretty beat up." She cringed, knowing she just opened up a huge can of worms with her sheriff father. Why didn't she use the appendix thing?

"_It wasn't in Seattle was it?" _Charlie questioned._ "They've had some very bad muggings there right now. Two people were found dead yesterday. Another four were robbed just out of town. Really beat up."_

This isn't what she had expected to hear. "Uh, yeah, it was in Seattle. How did you guess? Gosh, you're awesome like that."

Edward made a face at the terrible attempt at flattery.

Bella turned away from him again. "Anyway, Dr. Cullen took care of him, but Alice is still pretty shaken up. I want to be there for her."

"_Well," _Charlie drew; she could hear him sigh through the phone._ "All right. Since it is already __**noon**__ before you decided to give me a call, I guess it doesn't matter if you take the rest of the day off. And since I __**already**__got a call from the school, it wasn't a huge secret either. Say hi to Alice for me, ok? Did Dr. Cullen file a report?"_

"I'm not sure." Bella replied honestly.

"_All right then. But I expect you in school tomorrow, Bells. Oh—its Saturday isn't it? Never mind. Monday then. See you later."_

"By dad, thanks." She smiled and hung up the phone. Edward was looking at her with something very similar to dislike. She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm staying."

He growled and walked back into the room with Jasper.

Emmett was smiling brightly at her. "Nice cover. We're going to have to remember it. Anyway, he's tied pretty tight. I don't think he can get out." As he said it, his voice dropped a little and his eyebrows came together as if he were considering the possibility. "Well, he might not get out. Maybe. We should stay in the next room I think, just to be safe."

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_Thanks for reading! please review it for me!_

**Next Time: Interim of Inner Thoughts**


	6. Interim of Inner Thoughts

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Bloody Stakes

**Chapter 6: Interim of Inner Thoughts**

Nights blended into days, days into weeks. He didn't know where he was, when he was. He felt like Rip Van Winkle. Stuck in a loop of time where he hardly knew who or where he may be. He heard the voices. He knew it was his family. He knew they were trying to help him. But it hurt. Hurt to think of them, to think of anything. Tears he didn't know he could shed streamed down his face. At least he thought they were tears. Maria wiped them away from his eyes gently, caringly. She called his name from the furthest reaches of his sanity, but for the life of him he could not answer her. And this was one of the worst pains.

He knew the day he stopped moving something bad had happened. He broke some rule he should not have. He crossed a line. He sensed it in all the feelings swirling around him, through him. Fear, worry, love, intermingling with sudden sharp undertones of distrust. That's why he felt himself chained down. That's why he was in a dark, familiar smelling room all alone.

Days had melted away. He didn't keep track in his mind any longer what could be happening to him. He just let things go. His mind, trapped in some other world . . . . . . . . . .

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_yes, short, so I posted 5 and 6 together._

**Next time: Sucky Wearwolf Blood and . . . Squirrels?**


	7. Sucky Wearwolf Blood and Squirrels?

_Sorry for the long interim, my car was hit in a parking lot, so the past few weeks have involved nothing but security tapes, estimates, and testimony for police officials. not fun in the least._

_but here we are again!!_

**Chapter 7: Sucky Werewolf Blood and . . . . Squirrels?**

Carlisle drove up through the break in the tree line to his home. Everyone was standing outside. Bella was sitting on the grass with Alice, a long tablecloth beneath them. Emmett and Edward were wrestling in the grass. Rosalie and Esme were fixing each other hair.

When he stepped out of the door he smiled at them. It was not the first time in the past week he had found them like this. Everyone outside, away from the house, occupying themselves. With Jasper indisposed, he had made the home near inhospitable. He radiated feelings, pain, regret, confusion, fear, stepping just briefly inside would have a person or vampire struggling just to remember which way was up. Rosalie was almost at the point of putting him up in the garage just to have her room back.

Emmett and Edward stopped wrestling, straightening up to look at their father.

"What did he say?" Alice was the first to ask. She was at Carlisle's side before any of the others, stealing his briefcase from him and tearing it open, looking for any paper the scientist may have written on.

Carlisle let her go ahead. "He said it was silver." He told them. The waves of shock were rightly apparent.

Alice found the metal in the briefcase and dropped the whole thing in shock. The Case clattered and bounced off the grass. The contents exploded out. The metal stake was there in the midst of it all. She looked up at her father.

Carlisle bent over and picked the spike up, with his bare hand.

A gasp filled them. But he was unhurt.

"That's not the right one." Bella told him, her voice laced with finality. "It can't be."

"It is." He corrected. "The metal is just silver. Nothing special to us. It was coated with something very dangerous. Much like a poison or acid. Or both in a way. He found it incredibly interesting stuff." He picked a slip of paper out of the briefcase and closed it. "This is the report on it. Its hemoglobin based. A serum compound. And it is distinctly canine."

Bella's heart fell through her chest right to the soles of her feet. Her breath was sucked out with a whoosh. _**Jacob.**_ Jacob had tried to call her about a hundred times. He visited her house twelve times, and she was never home. She was at the Cullens all week. He cornered her in the school parking lot, but she rushed off, figuring he just wanted to annoy her in front of her vampire friends.

And she never called him back. Never went to see him. Never considered it was something more important than his own male ego. Not once. Suddenly she was really regretting it. She pulled away from the group and punched in Jacob's number, hoping to the heavens that after so long he wasn't sour enough to refuse to answer her call.

After the first ring he picked up.

"_Bella, for crying out loud, where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you all week! Just because you're over__** there**__ doesn't mean you can't answer your phone—"_

Bella took the abuse in stride. After all she did sort of deserve it. When he stopped for a little bit she took her chance to ask him what made him call her so desperately.

"_It's Paul."_ He told her frantically. _"He's dead, Bella! Something grabbed him in the woods. It was a vampire. Bella? Bella are you even listening?!"_

Bella's heart froze. She looked up at her much loved friends. They were all staring at her. Obviously they could overhear.

"_Did you hear me?"_

"Yeah," Bella said suddenly. "I heard you. What makes you think that, Jake?"

"_Because I __**saw **__them. They were hunting him, I don't know why or what for. But they wanted one of us, and it didn't matter who. They went after Sam first, and then they got Paul before he could reach the rest of us. You have to warn the Cullens!"_

This was not what Bella had expected him to say. Here her heart was beating out of her chest, just waiting for that thunderous sound of four angry wolves barreling through the woods to get the Cullens. She imagined poor Alice rushing inside to protect Jasper, and them being shredded apart. The kind, gentile Esme dying beside her Carlisle. Edward and Emmett fighting to the bitter end. Carlisle, trying at every point to resolve the matter without violence.

Would Jacob be part of that? Would he have stopped them?

"Jacob, what are you saying?" Bella managed past the surprise.

"_I'm saying there are two guys out in the woods hunting vampires. And I think their coming for the Cullens. I don't know what they needed Paul for, Bells, but they killed him to get the bloodsuckers. I even think the hunters are vampires too. We're keeping an eye out here in La Push, but tell everyone to be on guard. Ok?"_

Bella knew he was about to hang up, and hurried to say something before he did. "Jake!"

"_Yeah?"_

"When did this happen?"

"_Thursday night."_ He told her. _"Bella, I have to go."_

"All right," he hung up "Bye." She whispered.

"Werewolf blood, huh?" Carlisle sounded more interested then mortified. "Interesting. Very interesting."

"So," Esme drew out slowly, developing the thoughts as they came to her. "I'm guessing as venomous as we are to people . . ."

"Werewolves are the same to us." Edward finished. "What grisly vampire came up with that one."

"That's a good question." Carlisle told him. "We also have to figure out if Jasper was targeted in particular. If he knew this person. After all, from what we can tell they were after Edward to start with, and then they chose Jasper instead."

"Maybe Jasper was just closer. Maybe he did know them, and that's why they got so close. Could it have been Maria?" Edward mused aloud.

Alice shook her head definitively. "I don't think so. After all, they were going after Edward. I saw that. Maria wouldn't have a reason to harm him."

When Alice mentioned the original vision, Bella could not help but draw closer to Edward. To think she'd come so close to him being hurt! Lying closer to death then life, just like Jasper. It made her shutter.

Edward circled her shoulders with his arms and pressed his face into her hair. He hoped his touch would remind her he was still standing.

"Besides the hunters, I'm still worried about Jasper. He hadn't eaten in days. What he had was vomited out of his system." The doctor continued.

"He's going to be hungry as a bear." Emmett put in.

All eyes rested on Bella.

She threw her hands up. "Great! I'm on the menu?"

Alice laughed.

"We could always leave a squirrel in with him." Rosalie said dryly.

Both Edward and Emmett recoiled.

"No!" it was Emmett who said it, "You don't know how—uh!—those things taste. I was desperate. Once. And it was a bloody hard thing to catch too!"

Now they looked at Edward.

He held up his palm. "No comment."

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Sorry to say the next chapter has not yet been typed, bear with me, sorry!!


	8. The Scent of food All Food

Another chapter, another day, this book is about to get super intense!

**Bloody Stakes**

**Chapter 7 **

**The Scent of Food . . . All Food . . .**

His stomach was growling at him. Flipping, contorting. He dragged his knees to his chest and rocked, hoping to appease it. He groaned, burying his sweaty brow against his arm. At least he wasn't chained anymore. After breaking the first few in a fretful nightmare his family had stopped locking him up. Besides, he couldn't stand now if he wanted to. He tried, once, and collapsed so heavily his wounds began to ooze red. At least Carlisle was able to empty more lidocaine into the open crevices of his smooth stone skin. It helped to numb him, if only for a little while.

Something sickeningly sweet smacked him in the face. He buried his nose further into his elbow joint. His left eye opened to see what it was.

"Hey Jazz." It was Edward. "Still sick, huh? Well at least not making us all feel like committing suicide. That was getting a little testy. You know who I am, right? Don't say anything, just think it."

_Edward Cullen,_ Jasper thought.

"Good" he seemed pleased. "Do you know where you are?"

Jasper's face removed from his arm some and took in the room. It was disorienting, seeing it from lying down practically on the floor on a two foot wide green canvas cot. If he rolled it would be a grand six inches until he hit hardwood. _My room,_ he guessed more than anything.

"Great." Edward encouraged far too cheerily. He turned to someone in the doorway and smiled again. "I think you're doing much better. Are you hungry?"

Jasper's stomach inverted and he groaned, his face absorbing the scent of his own pillow.

"That's a no. Ok, that's all right. Let me go empty this—" he picked up the pot beside the cot gingerly between his thumb and forefinger. He held it at arm's length, his nose wrinkled with the foul smell of curdled, vomited blood. "And I'll be right back."

Jasper didn't care where he went, so long as he went away. He couldn't stand that sickeningly sweet smell. It was driving him mad! So when sadly the smell refused to go away on Edward's leave taking Jasper groaned audibly.

"Wow, is that real?" someone, a girl, said. He felt her move past him, then a rattle on his bookcase.

He brought himself to look up. It was Bella, she must have been standing in his door way at first. Now she was at his bookcase staring down his turn-of-the-century Smith and Wesson. He grinned a little. Not feeling well enough to actually say anything. She seemed pretty fascinated without him.

The window was open in front f her. His white lace drapes blowing inward faintly, catching her floral scent and blowing it into his face.

It was the first word he'd spoken in days, almost a week. And it caused Bella to jump.

"Crap!" he said. He struggled out of bed, his legs wouldn't carry him, so he crawled towards the door, away from Bella. Far away from Bella. That wonderful, terrible sweet smell. His stomach couldn't take it. He needed to throw up. Now.

"Jasper?" Bella asked in concern. She went toward him, ignoring all the warnings drilled into her. Ignoring even that he's attacked her twice already. She held him up with an arm across his chest and back. He was heaving, but nothing was coming up now. He didn't have anything left.

If he turned on her now, Bella would have no chance to get away.

"Edward!" she called. "Alice!"

Edward was at the doorway instantly. "Bella!" his voice was angry only.

He face was equal to his. "He's sick. He isn't trying to eat me!"

Edward didn't know what to make of it, but he helped anyway. Setting the pot on the floor by the bed, he lifted Jasper back to the cot. Jasper only turned away, still heaving. He reached a flushed hand up, waving at the window. He groaned, wagging the hand frantically.

"Bella, can you shut the window?" Edward asked.

She sprang to it.

Alice appeared in the doorway with Carlisle. He had something peculiar in his hands.

"Jasper, you're awake!" Alice exclaimed excitedly. She skipped over to him, cradling his head in her arms. "You'll be so happy! Dad has something for you."

Jasper's head didn't move, but his eyes flicked up to Carlisle. His heaves were subsiding. He took in the lovely Alice. Then his eyes flicked again to Carlisle. In his hand was something he never expected. It was a bag of blood from a transfusion pack. Jasper flipped to the opposite side and hung his head halfway into the pot.

Everyone cringed at the sound.

"I don't think he can stand the smell of food right now." Edward told them, he was concentrating, reading Jasper's thoughts through the surge of feelings swirling around Jasper's mind. "Its making him sick." He smiled a little. "He said that means Bella too."

Bella bit her lip, embarrassed. Carlisle chuckled a little and led them out.

As she passed by, Jasper reached out and snatched Alice's hand. She smiled at him and stayed.

As they headed down the hall, Carlisle placed the bag of blood into his pocket. "Well, I guess food wasn't on his mind in a good way." He looked at Emmett. "How is your appetite?"

Emmett shrugged. "Not really hungry. The last time I hunted was Friday morning. Its what? Thursday? Bella isn't even tempting at this point."

She smiled at him, though wondered if it was really a compliment or a passing comment about possible lunch options. You know, in the grand order of things appeals went from low to high in the order of: deer, moose, caribou, wolf, bear, mountain lion, and then Bella with squirrel listed somewhere between rocks and sea squirts. By the heavy punch in the arm Edward gave his brother, Bella could tell it wasn't a compliment.

"You look thirsty." Carlisle told him. "Might as well eat something. I don't want it hitting you suddenly some place dangerous."

"Ok."

"How's your fingers?" Emmett asked him.

"Fine actually." He displayed the circular scars from where he tried to touch the poison silver. Obviously his finger prints would never be the same, but to him it hardly mattered. "No peculiar side effects, it is healing with time."

"Any luck?" Esme asked, standing at the foot of the stairs with Rosalie.

Carlisle shook his head. "Can't eat. Smell is making him ill."

This didn't please her. Her eyes went down his arm to rest on his pocket with the transfusion pack in it. "Where did you get it?"

"Friend." He told her. "Cow's blood if your taste is for it. I told him I was studying serums and their relationship to humans. You'd be surprised how much they have in common."

"It's cow?" Bella's surprise was palatable. Edward was chuckling.

"What did you think it was?" he asked her.

"Well?" her eyes were on Carlisle. "you are a doctor . . ." she stopped her head dropping, Emmett was already booming with laughter.

Now Carlisle was laughing to. "Oh, Bella!"

Emmett wrapped an arm around her neck. "Bells, Bells, what will we do with you? If we gave him human blood—oh my gosh. Do you even remember your big 1-8 party? Think times like, a trillion."

"As much healthier and tempting as that may be, it would negatively affect his progress with us." Esme smiled.

"In the meantime, we have business to attend to." Rosalie pointed out.

Esme nodded. "We caught scent of those hunters. We should see to them before anything gets out of hand."

"More out of hand." Edward corrected.

"Right then." Carlisle pulled off his lab coat. He switched from his dress shoes to hiking boots and motioned for the boys. "Emmett, Edward you two hang back. Esme, Rosalie, and I will be the bait. I don't think Alice will mind watching out for Jasper while we—"

"I'm coming." Alice said, suddenly behind them.

"Good." Was his only addition. "Well, Bella, house is yours. I'm sure Jasper is indisposed enough not to bother you."

This seemed to horrify Edward.

Alice giggled. "She'll be fine." She tried to assure him.

"If you're hungry, we kept some snacks."

Bella smiled. "I get it. And my truck is here if something happens. And I know where Jasper's food is too. My dad doesn't expect me home until late tonight and its only two-o-clock. I'm good."

"Great!" Carlisle was a well of happiness. "Off we go then."

As he walked by, Edward cupped Bella's face in his hands. His eyes were direct, pleading. "Don't go in his room."

"Edward—" Bella drew out in annoyance.

He kept her eyes on him. "Please, Bella, promise me."

She rolled her eyes. She never could get over his protectiveness. "Ok. I promise."

"Don't want to come back and find he didn't share, Edward?" Emmett boomed. He was already out on the porch, standing and waiting.

Bella only felt the gust of air as Edward rushed after him. Before she knew it a thunderclap of their bodies hitting one another came to her ears. She rushed through the door to watch the wrestling match. By the time she reached the porch, they were already gone. An Emmett-outlined dent (actually, it was more like a crater) was obvious right down to the clay in the soil.

She grinned and headed back inside.

* * *

_Thanks for sticking with me, please keep reading!!_

Next time: **The Battle Begins**


	9. The Battle Begins, And Ends

only a couple more chapters to go!

**Chapter 9 **

**The Battle Begins: And Ends**

He'd been running for hours. Hours spent upon hours, and nearly for days. And yet he hadn't been tried yet. The scent of the vampire was still thick in his nostrils. The trail was fresh. Recent. The vampire was ahead of them, but only just.

He often wondered if they were running in circles. It definitely felt that way. Many times the trail had crisscrossed into Cullen territory. That alone frustrated Jacob to no end. He would much rather blow straight across that boundary and hunt as much as he wanted.

So much for that now!

"Up ahead, Hurry! Run!"

Sam's voice echoed into his head. He'd heard this before when they were only steps behind. Jacob rushed faster. Running and running. Embry teaming with Quil behind him. He could smell the fresh scent now. The sweet vampire stink.

Suddenly he burst through the tree line and skidded to a halt.

Sam was directly in front of him. His fur bristling. Across from him was nothing short of a line of Cullens. Where was the hunter? Jacob growled in total frustrations.

* * *

Bella lazily changed the television channels, scanning past various tired looking programs. She grabbed another handful of cheetahs from the bag on her lap and tipped them into her mouth. Life was always dull in the big empty house without Edward around. Eating and hardly watching TV was all that distracted her from bursting with worry that her second family was out getting hurt right then.

Just like Jasper.

She was so distracted; she never heard the less-than-perfect approach. The vampire was hardly quiet as he stumbled down the stairs. He waited a moment, letting his eyes adjust. He staggered over to Bella, hand reaching forward to her back.

Bella felt something hot by her neck. Shocked, she leaped to her feet, spilling the cheetahs over the floor. "Jasper!" she exclaimed, voice only just a whisper.

He seemed stronger. His face was not to red or feverish, but he was sweating. His eyes rimmed black as ore. His eyes were fire red. For a moment she was terrified. But he didn't move toward her. Just simply dropped his hand back to his side and looked desperately at her.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"We have to go." he said.

This was nothing like what she expected him to say. "What?"

His head turned from her swiftly. "The vampire. He's coming here now."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, his face very severe.

Bella grabbed her keys off the table. "Come on, I'll drive!" she took his hand as she passed him, but he didn't move. How normal his hand felt! Warm like hers, a stark contrast to the frozen feel it should have had.

"No use. He's almost here." Jasper said, still severe. He was concentrating, she realized. "I feel it. Someone full of hate. He's so close. There's no time to get out." His eyes flipped to her, suddenly more alive then they had been in so long. "We have to hide Bella, now!"

Bella looked around. "Hide? Jasper, hide where? From a vampire?"

"Get the blood." He told her, moving into action. He started to upend the furniture, emptying the food in the cabinets, leaving human scent everywhere. Bella handed him the packet of cow's blood.

"Break it open." He told her, tossing a vase of dying flowers and watching it shatter across the floor. The smell of the decayed leaf-filled water added mustiness to the already choking air quality.

Bella hid the horror of what she was holding and jabbed one of her keys into the latex bag and ripped it open.

"Good, here." He held a hand out for it and proceeded to dump the contents over the floors, the walls, doors, carpets, chairs, everything. Absolutely everything. "The freezer, Bella, look for more of these. Carlisle must have more than one. Quick!"

Bella did as she was asked. She found another two packets and handed them both to Jasper. She could hardly breathe, let alone watch. Her eyes were closed tightly against it. The coppery smell smacked her full and her stomach went along the way that Jasper's was.

Jasper finished and approached her again. Wrapping an arm around her waist to get her moving, he rushed through the home. Jasper scattered everything hat held Bella's scent along the way until there was nothing that did not smell like her. Then they hid in a small closet in the far corner of the home's first story. It was at the end of a nondescript hallway between the main living area and Edward's piano room. Jasper let Bella in first and followed behind her. The door shut.

The darkness was incomplete. The vast light of the home shone around the edges of the door, reflecting dully off Jasper's diamond skin. It had none of the luster it should have. If Jasper was totally human, Bella would say he was flushed in appearance.

They were quiet. Bella slid to the back of the closet, next to some hiking gear and winter coats. She sat down beside them. After a moment Jasper followed suit.

"The blood will confuse him and the scent too." Jasper told her.

"There's only one?"

Jasper nodded. He rested his head on a stack of boxes. His body was shaking some. Shivering. He was sweating again.

Bella moved closer to him. "You ok? How are you feeling?"

He chuckled a little but didn't answer right away. His chest heaved with a sharp breath; he held an arm across himself and winced. "You want the truth? You smell terrible. I'm like, barely keeping from trying to throw up right now. I honestly don't know if I can stand to live in this house anymore. Sorry."

Bella wanted to laugh, but was unsure if she should be offended. "You know, I'm sick of worrying about what I smell like to all of you. With Jake it's too sweet, with Edward its exquisite, with a normal vampire it's too much like dog, with you it's too much like food." She sighed. "There is no amount of bathing that will make up for all those factors."

Jasper snickered a little, and then abruptly stopped, his face still contorting in thick lines of pain.

"At least you aren't hungry, or this would be really stupid of me." Bella added.

Jasper huffed again. "Yeah. Right. Locking yourself in a closet with me when no one is here to save you. Be sure to mention that to Edward when your eyes turn red and your screaming in pain for three days, ok?" Suddenly he sat forward, his face turning very serious. "He's in the yard. We have to be quiet now. I'll try and twist his feelings into a no so tight he won't know which way is up."

Bella gulped the sudden fear and was perfectly still.

* * *

"He says we lost him." Edward translated in frustration. He was reading Sam's angry thoughts as the Cullens paced one side of the border and the wolves the other.

"We didn't see anything. We followed the trail here too." Emmett wasn't angry, but his voice was still sharp.

"Stop, I can't say everything all of you are thinking!" Edward **was** angry, and frustrated. So many thoughts flying around him was difficult to deal with and flaring tempers did not help. "Fine, that's better. He says they were tracking the vampire for the last few days. They were very close only seconds ago."

"We were following a human." Carlisle announced. "He disguised himself like a vampire. Perhaps our men are one in the same."

The wolves' large heads pulled pack, looking intently at one another.

* * *

"Does Edward know?" Bella whispered.

Jasper was very quiet, his head leaning on his arms which were stacked on his knees. His body was shaking uncontrollably. His skin was rosy red like an infant with scarlet fever.

Bella scooted closer, resting a hand on his arm.

He looked up. "Oh, I'm not sure if he knows. I can't tell if he's reading my mind or not." His voice was barely a whisper.

"How are you holding up?"

He shrugged a little and put his head back down.

She leaned beside him, hooking her arm on his. He felt colder, regardless of the flushed skin. If that meant he was feeling better, she wasn't sure. Her body shook itself but more out of fear. Somewhere in the big house the vampire was going crazy. He was re-tossing the already battered furniture, slamming doors, his mind literally crazy with the smell of Bella and blood. Not to mention what sort of circles of emotion Jasper was spinning his brain through. It would only be time before they were found.

* * *

When Jacob heard the words of Carlisle, his brain started ticking instantly. He looked around him with a different sort of intensity. He hadn't been tracking for a human scent before. Usually he ignored that smell. He searched for a person now, a normal, yet insane, wily, person hiding in the scrub of the invisible boarder. He broke from the pack. He knew the girl, the small pixie-like one was following him with curiosity.

Jacob tried to ignore her. He looked around, at the ground, the trees, the underbrush. He knew this person was smart. Knew he was some place remarkably close, allowing the two sides scents to combat each other. But what was he waiting for? Them to fight each other?

Something moved.

He paused, surprised suddenly by the two seemingly stationary trees before him suddenly shifting then stopping. He waited, looking directly at the two trees. Two blue on white irises flipped open and starred at him. Recognition surged through Jacob as he suddenly snarled and lunged for the trees, his jaws were wide, bared with rows of sharp teeth.

The human was exceptionally fast. He took up a gun from his shoulder and aimed for Jacob.

Alice was even faster. She shifted the weapon up as it fired the long metal stake into the air harmlessly. She growled fiercely and slammed the man into the trees. So this was one of the men responsible for what happened to Jasper. She was going to enjoy every second of –

"Jasper!"

Edward's voice suddenly cut the air. As the others had moved toward the human, he was frozen into place, enveloped into his mind.

Carlisle touched his arm gently. "What is it?"

Edward looked at him desperately. "The vampire is home, he went to our home with Bella and Jasper!"

Carlisle was horrified.

"They're hiding, but it won't be long."

"Leave the human to the dogs!" Emmett announced over hearing Edward's observations. "We got out own problems. Let's go!"

* * *

Jasper's body shook with adrenaline. He wasn't breathing, his face focused on the closet door. The vampire was getting closer. It wouldn't be long. He wasn't sure he could fight as weak as he was.

Bella hung on his arm in fear. At least her emotions were blatantly obvious. He wanted to soothe her, to radiate calming waves to satiate her terror. Hut he was too focused to worry about her. He had to keep the vampire spinning in his own mental circles.

The feeling of fury came closer.

He could just hear the footsteps.

And then, the dramatic spiking taste of realization. They had been found!

Jasper was a blur of movement. His arm slipped from Bella's arm as he moved swiftly. He crouched and launched forward. A low snarl deep in his throat emerged just as he sprang. He burst right through the closet door and tackled the vampire to the floor.

He struck out, growled, bit, and balled his fists in tearing gut punches. As the two rolled across the floor, hopelessly entangled, Jasper shouted to Bella. "RUN!"

Something finely snapped in her mind. She launched forward, passing the two gripping stone bodies and rushed for the back door. She pulled her keys from her pocket as she ran. She was going to keep running. Running forever. She knew how fast a vampire could be. Her only chance was to reach the truck.

Jasper grabbed the hunter by the arm and swung him into the corner. The man was slammed roughly but pulled his arm to steal Jasper off his feet. He hit the center table and it crashed beneath him. He was at his feet in an instant, his teeth bared to find purchase against the marbled skin of his attacker. The man sidestepped him, using his overwhelming strength to curved Jasper around and grasp the arm with his own teeth.

Jasper suddenly screamed.

Bella stopped, her hand on the back door. Her face turned to look.

The hunter was bent over Jasper's arm, biting and biting to fast to count. His arms pounded against Jasper's already weak body with his fists. Jasper ripped him away and got to his own stumbling feet.

"Bella run!" Jasper yelled again. He looked terrible. His face twisted away from its beautiful features. His bitten arm wrapped protectively over his middle. His chest again was covered in blood. He looked at her desperately, willing her to move, even as the hunter came from behind him and buried his venomous jaws once more into Jasper's battered neck.

Jasper seized, dropping to his knees, trying to turn to dislodge him. But he was weak, tired, and ready to die.

"Jasper!" Bella exclaimed. What else could she do? She took a step toward him, unsure what to do.

Then as a long metal cylinder appeared from the vampire's back, she knew/ It was full of blood. Werewolf blood. With all the open wounds the hunter had created in Jasper's body, it would be too easy to kill him.

Bella had to get that canister.

Jasper was on his back now, pinned under the vampire's huge body. He managed to get his jaws around the vampire's hand and he locked them on for dear life. The hunter cursed and swore, pulling his hand away while struggling to uncap the cylinder. Jasper wouldn't let go. He wiggled an arm free and used it to pull at the vampire's hand trying to get the poison before it could be opened. He had little chance. Already his body resisted, fought against him. The weakness was overpowering. He couldn't stop its spreading. The pain from the vampire venom enflamed his skin, circulating to his chest, arms, legs. It flared, burning hotter than ever before. He couldn't keep his jaw locked. He needed to scream.

Bella appeared from nowhere. Hadn't he told her to run? Was she insane? There was no way he could protect her, not like this. He simply watched as she did the unthinkable. Bella launched at the metal cylinder and pulled with all her might. The hunter turned, snarling wickedly. He made to grab her, but Jasper stopped him dead with his teeth still firmly imbedded in the vampire's hand.

Bella twisted, ending the tug-of-war as she fell back. She had the serum in her hands now, and for once she was not about to play the part of helpless female. She unscrewed the cap the rest of the way and held it poised over her head.

"Jasper, move!" She shouted.

He hadn't the time to think. He released his hold on the vampire hunter and kicked himself free. The vampire flew back, making a life-sized hole through one of the walls. Bella was ready and stepped bravely forward. She tossed its contents right in his face.

Now, she knew at once what the serum of wolf blood had done to her family. Jasper lay, half crazed for what seemed like forever. Emmett's skin melted from his body. Carlisle nearly lost two very important fingers. With a full liter of this serum in her hands, now pouring down the hunter's seething body, the sight had only one description.

He melted.

The screams were ear piercing. Bella's hands flew to the sides of her head to try and drown him out. Her eardrums were splitting, trying to shatter. She doubled over. A set of hands grasped her waster and pulled her away. She was carried up and outside. Her feet hit the lawn and she fell to her knees, her hands still cupped across her head.

It had been Jasper who rescued her. He dropped her in the middle of the lawn and moved away to collapse on his own.

"Bella!"

"I'm ok, Jazz, thanks." She said calmly. Her own voice echoed dully in her head. She flexed her jaw, hoping to stabilize the pressure in her skull.

"Bella! Bella!"

She looked as Jasper, wondering why he was still calling her name. He was doubled over on the grass across from her, shaking, gasping, but not speaking. Before her head could turn fully, she was caught up in a set of frozen arms. Her breath rushed out as Edward crushed her in his arms. He held her like this a moment before stopping himself and letting down his strangling hold some.

"I was terrified." He confessed breathlessly. "Are you all right? Bella?"

"Edward, I'm fine." She insisted, holding herself close to him. She was shaking now too, just like Jasper. Suddenly things were fitting into perspective. She might have been dead right now. Jasper also. What would that have done to Edward? Would he ever forgive himself?

"Jasper, son, hold on now. Relax your muscles, we're here to help you." Carlisle's voice was calm behind them, but his body was unnaturally still. He was worried.

Alice was beside him, her hand on his back. A dull moan came from Jasper's lips as he rocked on his knees. Edward winced, looking away.

"He was bitten. A lot. He isn't exactly happy about it either."

Carlisle's lips were pressed thin. Jasper's temperature was spiking again. He was literally burning inside and out. He had to get him stable, but how? Throwing ice on him only partly helped. Morphine would only go as far as the open wounds allowed. What could he do? "Ice. We need ice. Plenty of it." Carlisle instructed. "Emmett, fill the tub with cold water. Rose, all the ice we have, or you can find. Add it to the water.

The two left.

Alice gently rolled Jasper to his back. His pitch black eyes were distant, horrified. His teeth were clamped together to prevent complaining too much about the utter inferno. Was this how it felt like when he changed? He couldn't remember. But it was impossible that the burn was worse. He had only been bitten once before. As it was, a dull moan was escaping his clasped lips. He knew Alice was beside herself with worry. He pressed his hand against hers, but could not smile.

"You'll be fine." She told him.

He wanted to believe her, but found himself unable. The burn reawakened twice what it was before. His body now firm in the furnace, his cries were held back no more. Alice held him closer, as if to pull all the venom away with love alone.

"All right, inside." Carlisle instructed. "Pick him up gently, Edward."

His son came forward and lifted Jasper's legs very slowly. Carlisle lifted his head and shoulders. Either alone was more than sufficient to carry him, but for the sake of remaining level, they worked in tandem. They mounted the stairs and, ignoring the fact that Jasper was fully clothed, they dipped him immediately into the rising water level of the large claw foot tub. Jasper nearly jumped out of his skin. He clung protectively to Carlisle's chest to prevent his upper half being put in. He gasped, his arms locked in place.

"It's ok. This will help. Let go, Jasper. We're taking care of you."

His grip was like a vice, and in the end Carlisle required Emmett's help in dislodging him. Emmett was more than happy to do it and after the separation was made the swiftly dunked Jasper down into the frozen water. Jasper's body shook violently. He thrashed to get out, but Emmett's and Edward's strength kept him down. He snarled bitterly at them.

Emmett laughed. "Yeah, I hear you. Suck it up, Jasper."

He snarled again, shivering in the water.

"He says he hates you." Edward told him, smiling. "But the pain is going away a little."

"Can you feel the cold?" Carlisle asked, truly more curious than anything else.

"Ye-es." Jasper chattered out, his perfect teeth crashing against each other.

"Where were you bitten?" Carlisle asked, leaning over to look closely. "Your neck for one."

"Mmmm-yyyy, my ar . . . ar . . . arm." He stuttered again. His arms were surrounding his chest in a feeble attempt to keep himself warm. It was an effort for Carlisle to extract the arm to look at it in depth. He got it free at last and controlled the gasp that wanted to erupt. He pressed his lips together again. Large chunks of his arms were nearly bitten off. They hung barely together across the patch work of bites across his marble skin. Carlisle let his arm go and inspected his neck. It too was rough and harshly red with venom.

"What do you think?" Alice asked him.

"He needs to eat." Carlisle said simply.

Jasper groaned again.

"It's true." He pressed. "You need you strength and you can't get that by starving. You have to try at least." Carlisle looked at Bella expectantly. She stood in the doorway, oblivious to the unspoken question being posed her way.

"You don't smell that?" Rosalie asked Carlisle. "I saw it the moment I walked in." She looked at Bella. "What happened? The bags explode?"

Bella almost crumbled under all the awkward glances. "I, uh, well—" she fumbled out. Her mind was too wild with what had happened to remember half the events that preceded it, let alone she had not the ability to voice anything coherent.

Edward saved her. "Jasper's idea. He says it diverted the vampire's attention. That and throwing Bella's stuff all over the place." He looked at her and grinned.

Carlisle nodded. "A good idea as always, Jasper. It's good to have your mind with us again." He patter his shoulder with a fatherly gratitude.

Edward chuckled. The others looked at him for clarification.

"He says Bella was a fun partner in the closet." He gave her a mischievous smile.

Emmett's eyes were saucer plates. Rosalie's face was a pure scowl. Alice was at Jasper's neck now, wrapping her arms around him. She was smiling also.

"Dude. What?" Emmett muttered.

Edward rumbled a laugh deep in his throat. Bella for her part punched his chest, but reeled away, shaking her hand frantically.

"Ow, ow, ow!" she growled to herself.

"Oh, Bella!" Carlisle exclaimed, trying to hold his laughter. He reached for her hand to look it over, but she pulled it away.

"I'm fine!" she insisted. "Darn it, Edward, you drive me crazy sometimes. You're just as bad as Jacob, I swear." He circled her waster with his hands and held her gently, but she swatted him away.

"Wi—ill, every—one g, g, go-o away?" Jasper chattered out. His eyes were narrowing at the seven people all standing over him.

"Do you promise not to run off once we do?" Rosalie asked instantly.

"No." Edward answered for him, but Jasper growled.

Esme, who so far had been silent, finely took on her motherly tone. "All right. Everyone out. Alice, can deal with her Jasper, right?"

Alice smiled, kissing his neck.

"Then come on, out you all go. Emmett, you too."

Emmett pouted a little as his mother pulled him off the floor and marched him out. Bella smiled at Alice a little and followed Edward. In a few minutes the place was vacant.

A small sigh escaped Jasper lips as they were at last alone. His body shook once more with a terrible chill. He pressed his teeth together tensely.

"Stop acting so annoyed, you know it's for the best." Alice's sing-song voice passed through his right ear as her cool lips pressed against his bite wound.

He hissed painfully.

"It's not so bad." She continued. "After all, I could always join you and heat things up a little if you want that."

Now he growled.

She threw up her arms. "Then honestly, Jazz, what can I do to make you feel better?"

He tried to look at her, but she was at the head of the expansive claw foot tub, passed his view unless he turned around. And with the stinging wave that coursed through him from his neck, he could hardly think to do it. "Ge—get me out o—of tub." He chattered, for once grammar thrown out the window for the benefit of getting himself heard. He almost wished Edward had stayed, but then again, was glad he didn't. He smelled too much like Bella.

Alice's arms snaked around his neck again. Both comforting, loving, and yet he could feel the strength of her reminding him he should stay exactly where he was lest she decide to turn on him. "Now, you know I can't do that. Look at it all this way, you are more human now then you have been in years! You can feel the temperature, you sleep, I thought you were even dreaming too. And half the time Edward couldn't even read your mind. And I—" she stopped, her voice hitching.

Jasper guessed what she meant to say. She couldn't read his future either. He dropped off the grid, completely. Wounded as he was, he had become a blind spot for her. How terrible that must have been! To not even have her assurance that he would live or die. His chin pressed down against her arm. It was the only embrace he could manage. "Am f—feel—ing better." He assured her.

"I know." She replied, her voice was not the same chipper attitude it had been seconds before. "You'll be fine. But you have to do what Carlisle tells you. Okay? Promise me you will!"

"Promise."

She nodded against the side of his face, her tense arms relaxing a little. "Good. Then I don't have to worry about you."

"Don't worry." He said.

There was a light knock on the door. Alice seemed to have expected it, but it took Jasper by surprise. His body started up, focus broken, venom swelling into his mouth.

"It's fine!" Alice told him. "Jazz, it's just Carlisle. Sit back down."

The tension left him and he relaxed a little.

At the sound of the commotion, the door flew open and Carlisle rushed in, expecting only the worst. He was at ease instantly when he saw the laxness of Alice. He took a breath to steady himself before the rest of the home came running in the same as he had. "Oh, here you are, Jasper." He held out a cup, the liquid was clearly apparent through the clear glass.

Jasper groaned sickeningly and curled his nose away.

Alice took it for him and held it closer. "All right, Jazz, open up!"

He bit his lip, refusing.

Her eyes were pure little daggers, piercing into his very heart with tension. "You promised." She almost looked pleading, but her true appearance never changed. She knew there were ways to make him drink it.

He looked to Carlisle, as if his father may change his mind.

"Just plug your nose, and take it." He replied.

_The_ _traitor_, Jasper thought angrily. A frozen hand lifted from the water and clamped over his nose. His face shivered with the new chill it was presented with. He could hardly raise his bitten arm, so Alice came closer with the cup, placed it to his lips, and tilted back. At first he gagged, spilling some of the liquid into the tub with him. Alice refused to pull the cup away and kept it tipped against his lips.

He forced himself to drink. He knew if he didn't Emmett would be more than happy to pry his jaws open and feed a tube to his stomach. Or Alice would look at his with equal disappointment, which may be just as worse. He closed his eyes and dealt with it.

Then his stomach rolled. He turned his face away and Alice finely got the idea to pull the glass away. She set it on the floor and leaned forward to grasp his chest and pull him up. Carlisle took him under an arm and the two hauled him to the toilette. It took all of half a second before Jasper was bent over the porcelain bowl retching his new guts out.

"Ow." He muttered bitterly. Whether he meant his throat or his neck, or the various wounds at his arm was hard to tell. It could have been each.

Alice starred at Carlisle, full of worry.

He was not a beacon of much hope in return. "Well," he tried to reason, "You didn't throw it all up. Can you eat any more?"

Jasper wanted to say, 'No, make me', but he knew that would only make him feel worse. At least he was out of the tub for now. "Yeah, I guess."

Carlisle was only gone from his side for a moment before he returned with the cup. Neither Alice nor he made an effort to remove Jasper from his seat draped next to the toilette, just in case.

The injured vampire drank, he didn't plug his nose this time at least. The blood drained down his throat with a burning vigor like swallowing something too large with a sore throat. He cringed as it went down.

"Your color is looking better." Alice prompted hopefully.

"Great, now I can win the vampire beauty contest." Jasper replied spitefully.

Carlisle chuckled a little. "Well I never knew you for your humor, but I suppose it is a good turn. How is your stomach?"

"Unhappy."

"Do you think you'll throw up again?" he clarified.

Jasper shifted a little in his spot wedged against the toilette and the wall. He shrugged a little. "I'm not sure. I can't really tell."

Carlisle was nodding. He suddenly disappeared again, impossibly fast. He appeared almost as swiftly with a small contraption in his hand. He leaned down and pressed it into Jasper's ear. A faint beep went off a couple seconds later and he looked at the object. "Your temperature is getting better, but still not quite normal yet. Do you want to lie down?"

_Out of the tub, yes!_ Jasper thought to himself. He knew somewhere in the house Edward would be laughing. It disturbed him that he couldn't hear it. This lack in his perceptions was troubling and annoying at the same time. Alice was right. It was like he was human again. He surprised himself when he realized he didn't like it. "Yeah. Bed. Couch. Something." He mumbled. He began to feel very tired now. As if he would sleep. Did he dream, like Alice said?

"All right, let's get you up then." Carlisle stooped down and on his own lifted Jasper from his corner. Alice pirouetted ahead of them, leading the way to their room. Carlisle eased him down onto the cot and Alice sat beside him, taking his pale hand into hers. The utter happiness was emanating from her in all directions. He soaked it in gratefully. At least now it wasn't pure grief, worry, and utter fear surrounding him.

His eyes began to droop as Carlisle straightened the things beside him, all medical in nature and horribly confusing to look at. Jasper's wounds were beginning to trouble him again, but he tried to ignore them. He knew the pain would pass, eventually. Right now, he was tired. Very tired. The view of Carlisle heading silently out the door, Alice snuggling onto the cot beside him, the frozen cold entering into him from the closeness of her body.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him; he looked at her, becoming serious. "Alice, I'm sorry."

"For what?" her voice was distant, ethereal, as she hummed a small classical tune.

"Worrying you so much." He told her. He tried to make his voice sound stronger, but he was getting more tired, his eyes sagging, he couldn't open them.

Her arms were hugging him closer to her. He was happy to have her there, like old times. However she was just so cold! He resisted the urge to shake apart.

"It's my fault the hunter turned back for me." He continued. "If it weren't for my scars, he wouldn't have come for me."

Alice sat up now staring down at him. "What are you talking about?"

"The hunter and his pet." Jasper said, fading in and out of sleep now. "He was going for Edward. But I was more interesting. More vampires have tried, and failed to kill me. The human needed to handle the weapon. If it wasn't for my scars, they would have never come after me."

He couldn't tell what her face looked like, but she uttered a horrified sort of gasp. She leaned across him, closer than ever. Her lips were pressed against his marbled throat. "Oh, Jasper." She whispered.


	10. Jacob: The Happy Killer

**Chapter 10 **

**Jacob: The Happy Killer**

"Look at it this way, you made the mess, you clean it up."

"Very funny! If I knew this was a stipulation, I would have never thrown it at the guy." Bella grumbled, sticking her tongue out at Emmett.

"Aw, sorry. Hands are tied, I can't help you." He said, lifting his red palms up. They were nearly totally healed now, but held a little flush that the rest of his skin did not show.

Bella was standing over what was left of the vampire that had melted against the Cullen's living room floor. She was not looking forward to the prospect of cleaning it up. But then again it wasn't as if any of the other's could help her. One touch against the poison would burn them. So it was left to her, a mop, and a bottle of bleach.

Edward was watching from his perch on the back of the couch. Rosalie and Esme were picking up the various broken articles strewn about the place. It was somewhere in the midst of this when Edward's head snapped up. A low growl formed in his throat as he looked at the front door. "Visitor for you, Bella." He almost snarled.

Rosalie grinned some. "Great, he can help her clean!"

Bella had no clue what they were talking about. She considered Edward's look for a moment, Esme's long yellow gloves pulled up to her elbows. Then the knock came to the door. It was obvious neither of the men were going to move, so Bella hauled herself up from her knees and went to answer the door. She swung the door inward and paused. "Oh my gosh, Jacob! How are you?"

Jacob held a big smile, his shirt was shredded and his feet were bare. Only his pants seemed spared from whatever trouble he'd gotten himself into. "Great!" Jacob exclaimed, obviously pleased. "What's going on here?" He looked around Bella only to receive a sudden slap in his face by something rubbery. He caught the object and found a set of rubber gloves. He looked up again.

The larger vampire smiled at him. "Great to see you. Bella was waiting for a hand."

Jacob noted Bella wearing the same gloves and his questioning look made her speak up.

"I kind of made a mess of that man hunting us. None of the others can touch it." She shrugged.

Jacob nodded, getting it. "Sure I'll help."

Edward growled a little as he walked in. "That's not funny." He muttered.

Jacob's eyebrow went up, then he laughed. "Oh yeah, mind reader. Oh well. Can't do it now if you see it coming."

Emmett was tapping his brother for an explanation. Bella heard only the words "slide bloodsucker through the vamp soup" before she ignored him again. Emmett was laughing loudly in a second. Jacob looked proud of himself. Edward was stony annoyed.

Jacob pulled the gloves on and worked one mop over the watery, sizzling remains of the vampire hunter. Bella was scrubbing with a hard bristled brush across the floor boards behind him. The smell of straight bleach was thick and rough in the air.

"Oh, look, the dog." Rosalie appeared from the next room with a fresh vase of flowers to replace the one Jasper rolled over. Her eyes were dark beads, her face set despite her stunning beauty.

"Hey, blondie!" Jacob's good temper was unbreakable. "Awe, you didn't have to bring me a gift, I'll eat you as you are without any perfume."

Rosalie contemplated breaking the vase over his thick head.

Edward chuckled hearing her. "Leave him be. He's our cleaning crew. Besides, he's incorrigible right now. Aren't you?"

Jacob showed his grin surely could get bigger. "Sure am!"

"Wonderful." Rosalie muttered. "Can't even give me an excuse to rip your tail off."

"Ha, ha!" Jacob guffawed. "Nope, sorry blonds, you'll have to wait for that chance."

"What's the deal?" Bella asked, stopping her hands to look up.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's just nice, you know?"

Her head shook, not understanding.

"He's glad Paul's dead." Edward interjected.

Jacob's smile broke for just a moment and recovered just as quick. "Well, not how I would put it, leech, but sure." He stacked his arms on the top of the mop handle and looked at her. "Everything's calmed down, you know? The pack isn't so riled up and tense and all. It's like we're all working together and we're not being forced to. And it was kind of a cool challenge with that human vampire hunter."

Bella shook her head a little and kept scrubbing.

"Ah, Jacob," Carlisle said as he came down the staircase. "Good to see you. How did things go?"

Jacob didn't have to ask what he meant. "Just fine! Doing well, no problems coming from that crazy anymore."

Carlisle seemed disturbed about the news, but nodded regardless. "What a strange happening this has all been." He mused. "I'm glad it's over."

"How's Jasper?" Emmett asked.

"Ok." Carlisle seemed to brighten. "I think he's going to do all right. He was able to eat a little and kept some down."

Jacob's nose curled. "Ok, ew."

"Oh, get over yourself." Rosalie growled. "Like gnawing on a caribou's rear end is any better."

He laughed. "Oh, please, that was one time. And it was a reindeer."

Emmett snorted. "Man, they taste bad."

Jacob nodded. "Yeah! Like all chewy and gross."

"Taste like grease." Emmett added.

"Ok!" Bella interjected. "Enough of the gross animal eating talk, there is one relatively normal human in the room."

Emmett was roaring with laughter. Rosalie rolled her eyes and left the room. Edward smirked and Esme moved to Carlisle and wrapped her arms around his waist lovingly.

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Ok, I think this is the 2nd to last chapter. So next will be the final chapter. thanks for reading with me!! Still some fun to come!!


	11. The Gushy Love Story at Last

Chapter 11

The Gushy Love Story at Last

Jasper didn't struggle against the heavy hands holding his arms back. Neither did he pull away from the iron arms circling his chest and the third around his middle. He radiated calm. His mind centered on his goal. His eyes looked forward to his sisters before him, Bella and Rosalie.

This was dangerous, and he knew it. They all did. It was silly and idiotic. He hadn't had a meal in what? Three weeks? A month? Time was lost to him. But he had to be tested.

Rosalie had Bella in her own arms, ready to run with her if need be. Jacob was in his wolf form, standing over the two and ready to snarl. Thus far, a stiff breeze had carried Bella's scent away from him. And Jasper hadn't been breathing. But the wind changed, and now she was smack in his face.

"You'll need to breathe." Carlisle reminded him. His arms were at Jasper's chest.

"Just a small breath, not a big one!" Edward snapped (as if it would change the situation). He was not happy about this. Regardless that it was important, Bella insisted, and Emmett, Carlisle, and Edward were all holding Jasper should he become the monster they were expecting. Edward was still upset about it.

Emmett had Jasper's arms in a death grip. He was ready for anything, and almost hopeful for it to. After all they went through with his brother, nothing would feel better then a good fight right about then.

Without even breathing yet, the smell of Bella drifted under his nose. It was still sickeningly sweet. It grated against his throat as he sucked the air in with a breath.

Rosalie crouched, ready to run.

Alice and Esme stood aside. Alice was monitoring every possible outcome of the encounter.

The thirst swelled in his throat. Jasper's total black eyes were wide and half wild. The venom swelled in his mouth. His muscles tensed, he hardly thought. Emmett, Edward, and Carlisle all tightened their grip intensely. But something snapped.

Jasper swallowed. He waited, clearing his jumbled head. He knew Edward was listening to him. He felt the tension, the fear, the tidal emotions crashing against him. "Everyone, just shut up for a second!" Jasper growled against everything rushing through his mind. "Can't think with all of you freaking out!"

Though everyone knew exactly what he meant, hardly any could control themselves.

Jasper took another breath and the burning thirst hit him again, but somehow it was muted. Had it been worse before? Wasn't it not as bad now?

"Still not perfect." Edward announced.

Carlisle released his hold some. "It's taking a very long time, then. I can only imagine its due to the dosage you received." His tone was all doctor now. "I was sure you would have snapped by now. It is surprising. Could this be permanent, then?"

Jasper wanted to look at him, but he could hardly move. At the twitch of his muscles, Emmett grasped him so hard his arms nearly dislocated. Rosalie was across the creek with Bella. Edward was growling.

"I'm fine!" Jasper insisted. "Let me go already!"

Emmett looked first at Carlisle and then Alice.

She was grinning. "I think we're ok!"

Emmett and Carlisle instantly let go. Edward alone took a little longer. He was reading his mind again, of course. Testing Jasper, making sure. At last he let go and went to Bella.

"I could be like his permanently?" Jasper inquired, unable to keep the fear from his voice.

Carlisle stopped to look at him sincerely. "It is hard to say, Jasper, but it is possible." when Jasper's face froze in terror, Carlisle tried to amend his words. "But it took both Emmett and I a very long time to recover. It is certainly the same with you. But you have shown improvement. My one fear is that you will suddenly realize your thirst, like Emmett."

Emmett laughed. "Yeah, I ate like four grizzlies. I thought I was going to bust!"

Alice was hanging on Jasper's arm now, hoping her chipper presence would soothe him.

Jasper wasn't listening. "Sure, I've gotten better. I don't sleep, but I feel like I should. I tire out every ten hours and sit wallowing in misery. I can't even beat Esme in an arm wrestle at this point!" Jasper couldn't contain his disappointment. Alice said his name to try and calm him, but it didn't work. "I'm sick of it! Of wondering when I'll finely decide to eat Bella, or get desperate enough to take a swipe at dog-boy!" he swept a hand at Jacob who coughed a laugh.

"I wasn't ever normal!" Jasper finished, "But I want to be what I was before."

Carlisle wanted to sigh. He and Jasper both knew there were no answers to be had. They just had to wait and see.

Alice was pulling Jasper's arm gently toward the woods. She wanted to hunt with him. He knew he must eat, but he didn't have that same terrible desire he remembered. If he was overzealous, ate too much, he was not going to keep it down. He ate the equivalent to a human surviving on a pack of airplane peanuts. There was no way to keep his strength up this way. He was constantly exhausted. He had stopped sleeping which also sapped his strength to nothing. He hardly knew what to do with himself.

Alice was beneath his arm now, holding tight to his chest. She walked beside him at a near snail pace compared to how fast she could go. She was being courteous. If he rushed now, he wouldn't have a chance at taking the prey down. Already on his first (and only) hunt before this Alice had to make the kill for him. He drank less than a pint, and was finished for the rest of the week.

Today he was hoping for better. At least perhaps he could kill something for himself. That was truly a sad thought when he realized it. That alone only furthered his intense melancholy.

"What is it?" Alice asked him.

Funny, he'd almost forgotten she was there. That was odd of him. It definitely didn't happen often. His eyes drifted to her.

"Nothing." He lied.

She wasn't fooled. She never was. "Sure, don't make me run back for Edward." Her threat held little truth behind it. This was their time alone, there was hardly likely to spoil it. But she was troubled, he could sense that clear enough. It frustrated him.

"Stop being so worried about me." He muttered, annoyed. "Everyone. It's driving me crazy. It's hard enough being—being—" He couldn't think of an accurate word and settled with: "—injured. Can't anyone in this crazy house be happy?"

Alice rested her head on his shoulder. "Aw, I'm happy!"

He huffed. "Sure you are."

Alice didn't miss the sarcasm. She pulled away from him and the two faced each other. They stopped walking. "I am happy, Jasper." She insisted.

"Uh, huh. And worried, troubled, terrified, wary, angry, do you want me to list it all? Before it was easy. Emmett was Emmett, Rosalie was jealous. It didn't matter of who. Edward was a basket case with a twinge of incandescent happiness. Carlisle and Esme, content. You, you were just mine. You flicker when you think of me. A thousand emotions all radiating happiness. When you do it, I know your thinking of me. Us. Now, you don't do it. Everyone is upside down. The predominant thing is I'm living with is terror, fear, and distrust. From my own family!"

Alice looked as if she could cry.

Jasper turned away. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't hold her either. Not when she felt so hurt. It would be like magnifying it across his skin. "Alice . . ." he drew slowly, still not looking at her, "Alice, I'm sorry. You know it. I'm just so—I'm sorry."

He didn't hear her move. The rustle of a leaf as she passed was lost to him. The faintest whisper of that beautiful dress dispersed before it ever came to him. He hadn't any idea she had come closer until her cold arms wrapped around him. He felt it full now. The worry, contempt, anger, happiness, joy, love, endearment, everything rose and fell in a stunning rate. It was electric across his sin. His body shuttered. Her lips closed around the one scar more pronounced on his battered body then the rest. The scar was from Maria. The one that made him what he was.

"Should I bite you?" Alice's voice was honey and daggers at once.

Jasper couldn't move. His eyes slid closed.

"Would it help?" she continued cooing, the predator completely. Her lips slid past the ancient scar to the newest, the one from the hunter. "I want you thinking of me. Not him. Should I hurt you? Would that take his pain away?"

Jasper's back melted against her skin. The flickering love coursed through her. He soaked it in like a drug. It helped him, soothed him. His own personal cure. Normality, or what was his normality, surging through her body. His ebony eyes opened and he turned, catching her in a solid embrace. Jasper needed her now, more than ever.

Her seductive eyes drew him in. They sealed their lips together. Her flickering emotions doubled, tripled. A thousand more, all meaning utter joy poured around them. Suddenly, her lips ceased their hungry movements. Her eyes drifted out, distanced.

"Oh, Jazz." She whispered. All seduction was gone. She changed in an instant. She calculated how far they were from home: only a mile or two. She screamed Edward's name, and then Carlisle and Emmett. They would hear her.

Jasper knew instantly her emotions turned to utter fear. He wanted to step away, but she held his hands suddenly more forcefully.

"Don't freak out." She told him at his stunned look. "It'll be ok. Don't breathe."

His brow knit worriedly. "Alice, we already tried this. I didn't do a thing to Bella."

She didn't change her look. "They'll be here in just a second, stop breathing, Jasper! Please!"

Jasper became almost frozen. He knew little else to do. It finely clicked to him. Alice had seen some vision of him, and apparently it didn't end well.

And around this realization, the scent hit him. It was like a stone wall running him over. His sensitive ears picked up the heavy foot falls in the distant forest. Three humans. Stumbling around in the early light. The thick laughing, the crackling of cans. Drunk. They would make easy prey.

A snarl burst from his flaming throat. His jaw clenched, muscles tightened. He didn't even notice Alice holding him tighter, getting behind him to hug his arms against his side. All Jasper knew was blood. Thick, pumping, human blood. It would be easy. So very simple. The thoughts of his weakness were gone. Now there were only the obstacles: Alice. He was stronger than she was if he needed to be. Then there were the others, not far off and getting closer. He had seconds to make the choice. Hurt Alice and go for the red gold, or stay and suffer. But was it really choosing? No. It was instinct. The time was now. It was over. He'd snapped back into himself and he was starving. There was no choice.

All these thoughts took less than a few seconds. He was already moving. Alice was subtle, graceful, and impossibly fast. But he knew her weak point. She wouldn't hurt him. He twisted against her grip. The stronger of the two, it was easily broken. He was nothing if not that. Able to even wrestle Emmett into submission, Jasper was by far the most deadly of the Cullens.

Alice knew it. She knew at first, even now, he had trouble controlling himself. He'd simply seen too much bloodshed in his life. Everything had been war and thirst and death. Though he relished this new lifestyle, she knew he could become what he once was in an instant. And there the bloodthirsty monster was, staring her in the face again. She knew the only way to stop him.

He snarled at her again and crouched. He would hate himself for this. But she couldn't stop him. She wouldn't cause him pain. Like a flash, he was gone. Through the brush, past the trees. The humans weren't far off. It would take no time at all.

Her eyes slid closed as she slid to her knees, alone, in the leaf litter where he had thrown her. She wished then she could cry.

A hand gently lay on her arm. Alice was surprised, and that didn't often happen to her. When she looked up she seemed to smile.

Carlisle was kneeling next to her. Fatherly as always. His face showed genuine concern. It amazed her to see the emotions he could create on the marble features of his face. It had taken years, decades, of practice.

"Are you hurt?" he asked kindly, but already his eyes were surveying her.

Her head shook. "No, I'm fine."

This seemed to smooth his features. "Good. Jasper's home now. Emmett and Edward took care of everything."

Alice was very still. She knew what it meant. Jasper had killed. He reached the drunken humans and killed them. They would be moving. The wolves would be after them. She could see it. Every move flew through her, even the dim, bleak future.

"Not only did he take Edward's kill, but Emmett's and four elk, two cougar, and three bears. I've never seen him eat so much. And as yet hasn't gotten sick. I think he'll be just fine now."

Alice's eyes were looking up at him. Reading his lips as the words emerged. "But . . ." her voice failed, the look in her face was enough.

Carlisle was surprised, and then he understood. "Oh, Alice!" He embraced her, how loving he was. "No, no. Your brothers stopped him. He's fine. No one has died. Oh, sweet Alice, I'm sorry I didn't say that first."

He hadn't killed. All was well. Suddenly the future changed. A brighter outlook. Jasper smiling, Bella being locked out of the house by Edward, Emmett and Rosalie laughing. Jasper was searching, trying to find someone . . .

Her.

Alice.

_**His**_ Alice.

She leapt from Carlisle's embrace and rushed for home.

She wanted him too. She wanted the strong, sweet, darling revolutionary she fell in love with. She'd steal him away to be hers. All hers, for as long as it took to remind her he was forever alive. If he thought he was tired before, he had seen nothing yet!

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thanks for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it all. Please send me your final remarks, ok? Thanks!!


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